Sokuzan’s talk is inspired by a verse from “In Praise of Dharmadhatu” by Nagarjuna: “Enlightenment is neither near nor far, it does not go away or come to you, right there within the cage of your afflictions, either you’ll see it, or you will not.”

Contemplate that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8cERy5ex3s&t=743s

Don’t sit down and have a smartphone start telling you how good your meditation is. The more you rely on it the more it relies on you for its purpose in the hands of the corporations that are motivated to make money.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrA8ca7IxdU

Sokuzan’s talk is inspired by this verse of Nagarjuna from the Mahayana Vimshika: “Through the wheel of mind stopping all phenomena come to a standstill, therefore the nature, the phenomena, is identity-less, hence the nature of phenomena is completely pure. “

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHbztVS5Ess

To say this is to point out our assumptions of time, that it actually is something.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abdzc5tnY1Y

“It’s ordinary” is pointing to the nature of mind. Even to say this is too much. There may be flashes of it, but then the ego mind wants to treat this profound insight in such a way that it hangs onto it. There’s a big difference between thinking it’s ordinary and seeing it’s ordinary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BWBOKEcsMU

Sokuzan focuses on three of the Twelve Links (Nidanas) on the chain of existence to support looking closely at what arises and see how we jump from feelings and emotions to craving and grasping.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58CxNWfRKyk

Parikalpita, one of the three ways of being described in the Yogacara, is a Sanskrit word that means the “imaginary nature”. It is part of a simple teaching, broken into concepts so that we can better approach the way we confuse ourselves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXPCg1bBHWY

Just because an opening or blank spot comes up doesn’t mean you need to fill it up with ideas or conversation or commentary or analysis. Leave it blank. Actually, be blank. Don’t know anything. If you leave it blank you are actually leading your life with awareness that is empty of self, empty of other.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObebhFVSz3M&t=2076s

Sitting meditation is like “backing up”. You’re kind of backing up out of your everyday life of activity and you’re sitting down and starting again. Suzuki Roshi called it beginner’s mind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFvydu5yOp8

In endeavoring to make no response the there is a way of responding that is more sane, harmonious and cooperative, where there’s communication that is not “me first!”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT0_3huA2UM