Every Breath You Take (Dharma Talks 1-99) Dharma Talks by Ven. Shikai Zuiko o-sensei Commentaries on Book Eleven of the Avatamsaka sutra, translated by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi and Ven. Shikai Zuiko sensei Jo-gyo-bon: the Practice of Purity (Avatamsaka sutra, Huayan jing, Kegon-kyo, Book Eleven) translated by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi and Ven. Shikai Zuiko osho Then the wakeful one All-Pervasive Knowledge asked Manjusri, who was open to Openness, "How should wakeful ones unfold activities of body, speech, and mind without fault? How should they unfold activities of body, speech, and mind that do not harm? How should they unfold blameless activities of body, speech, and mind? How should they unfold invulnerable activities of body, speech, and mind? How should they unfold activities of body, speech, and mind which do not fall back? How should they unfold unshakable activities of body, speech, and mind? How should they unfold excellent activities of body, speech, and mind? How should they unfold unblemished activities of body, speech, and mind? How should they unfold stainless activities of body, speech, and mind? How should they unfold activities of body, speech, and mind that are guided by perfect knowing? "How should they unfold arising in the right circumstances, among good people, with complete physical capacities and clear mindfulness, understanding, complete in conduct, fearlessness, and awareness? "How should they unfold excellent, foremost, peerless, immeasurable, incalculable, inconceivable, incomparable, unfathomable and inexpressible investigation? "How should they unfold the strength of good roots, of aspiration, skillful means, the power of the recognition of context and content; the five strengths: confidence, thoroughness, mindfulness, harmony, and perfect knowing; and the four bases of subtle perception: determination, consciousness, effort, investigation? "How should they unfold skill in discerning the elements, aggregates. and sense bases, skill in understanding interdependent emergence, skill in understanding the three conditional realms of desire, form, and nothingness, and skill in understanding the three measures of past, present, and future? "How should they thoroughly practise the seven factors of awakening: mindfulness, investigation, exertion, joyfulness, calm, concentration, and equanimity? How should they unfold openness, signlessness, non-obsessiveness? How should they fulfill the perfections: generosity, integrity, flexibility, exertion, practice, and perfect knowing? How should they fulfill kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity? "How should they unfold the energy of knowing what is true and what is not, the energy of knowing the consequences of events, the energy of knowing the inclinations of beings, the energy of knowing the various styles of beings, the energy of knowing the capacities of beings, the energy of knowing the destinations of all paths of practice, the energy of knowing the obscurations, deviations, and clarification of all practices and meditative states, the energy of knowing one's own past existences, the energy of knowing future existences, and the energy of knowing the ending of all outflows? "How should they always gain the protection, respect, and support of shining sovereigns, dragon sovereigns, sovereigns of the forest spirits, sovereigns of celestial musicians, sovereigns of violent shining beings, sovereigns of bird-like creatures, sovereigns of horse-headed beings, sovereigns of serpentine creatures, sovereigns of humans, and sovereigns of the highest beings? "How should they be a reliance and liberator, a refuge and resort, a lamp and a light, an illuminator and a guide, a supreme and universal leader for all sentient beings? "How should they become foremost and greatest, excellent and supreme, sublime and most wonderful, highest and unexcelled, incomparable and peerless among all sentient beings?" Manjusri said to All-Pervasive Knowledge, "Excellent, child of the Awakened Ones! Your question has arisen from the aspiration to benefit many, to bring peace to many, out of concern for the world, to benefit and gladden celestial and human beings. Child of the Awakened Ones, if wakeful ones use their minds skillfully, they can unfold all supreme qualities, can have unobstructed understanding of all the Teachings of Awakening, can remain on the Path of the Buddhas of the three measures of time without straying from it even while living in the midst of sentient beings, can comprehend the characteristics of all things, cut through all contraction and fulfill all that is expansive. They will be excellent in embodiment like Samantabhadra, they will be able to fulfill all of their vows, will be free in all ways, and will be guides for all sentient beings. How should they use their minds so as to unfold all these supreme wonderous qualities? Wakeful ones who are at home should raise the aspiration, "May all beings Realize the nature of 'home' is empty And release its limitations." In serving their parents, "May all beings Serve the Awakened, Sheltering and nourishing everyone." When with spouses and children, "May all beings Be unbiased toward everyone And always release clinging." When attaining their goals, "May all beings Pull out the arrow of craving And realize utter serenity." On festive occasions "May all beings Enjoy Reality, Realizing amusement is not real." If in the rooms of palaces, "May all beings Enter the highest life, Always free of the stain of craving." If putting on adornments, "May all beings Release false embellishments And come to abide in Reality." When ascending a balcony, "May all beings Tower as Reality, Seeing the panorama of everything." When giving something away, "May all beings Be able to release everything With hearts free of clinging." When in gatherings or crowds, "May all beings Release compounded things And unfold knowing the nature of all knowns." If in danger and difficulty, "May all beings Have freedom, And be always unobstructed." When they move past householder's life, "May all beings Have no hindrance in 'leaving home,' And their hearts be free." Entering the monastery, "May all beings Display the various standards Of being without struggle." Going to advisors and teachers, "May all beings Skillfully attend to their teachers And practice the ways of virtue." Requesting ordination, "May all beings Reach the phase of 'no turning back,' And their intelligence be unhindered." Shedding the clothing of householders, "May all beings Cultivate roots of expansiveness Free from the yoke of wrong action." When shaving their hair, "May all beings Leave behind self-grasping forever And enter into no birth and no death." Donning monastic robes, "May all beings Have stainless intelligence And fulfill the Way of the Great Sage." When they formally 'leave home,' "May all beings 'Leave home' with the Awakened One And liberate self and other." Taking refuge in the Buddha, "May all beings Continue the Lineage of the Buddhas, Raising the unsurpassable aspiration." Taking refuge in the Teachings, "May all beings Enter fully into the Discourses And their perfect knowing be as deep as the sea." Taking refuge in the Harmonious Community, "May all beings Harmonize the multitudes, So that all become free from obstruction." When receiving novice precepts, "May all beings practice discipline And not act out of corruption." Receiving guidance from an advisor, "May all beings Deport themselves with dignity And their actions be truthful." Receiving instruction from their teacher, "May all beings Enter unborn Knowing And arrive at liberation." Receiving the complete precepts, "May all beings Fulfill the practices of freedom And master the ultimate Teaching." When entering a hall, "May all beings Ascend to the ultimate sanctuary And rest, at ease and unshakable." When setting out a place to sit, "May all beings Unfold the flower of virtues And understand their own clarity." Sitting up straight, "May all beings Be seated on the throne of Awareness, their intelligence disentangled." Crossing the legs, "May all beings Have strong roots of virtue And unfold the immovable." Practising clarity, "May all beings Settle their minds in clarity Until nothing is left behind." Practicing insight, "May all beings See Reality as it is, Always free of the struggle of opposing it." When uncrossing the legs, "May all beings Observe that all activities and things Resolve into falling away, vanishing." Lowering the feet and resting, "May all beings Unfold freedom of attention And rest at ease, unstirred." Raising the legs, "May all beings Leave the sea of birth and death And ripen all virtues." Putting on lower garments, "May all beings Bear fundamental goodness And a sense of responsibilty." When putting on a belt, "May all beings Gather roots of virtue And not loosen and lose them." Putting on outer garments, "May all beings Unfold unexcelled foundations of virtue, Arriving at the Other Shore of the Teaching." Putting on the kesa, "May all beings Come forward And unfold equanimity." Taking a toothstick in hand, "May all beings Realize complete Reality And enter spontaneous purity." When chewing on the toothstick, "May all beings Have the eye-teeth of wisdom, And bite through all delusion." When going to the toilet, "May all beings Release passion, aggression, and stupidity, And wipe away wrong action." Washing up afterward, "May all beings Quickly go Past the edge of the mundane." When washing the body, "May all beings Be pure and harmonious, Ultimately there are no defilements." Washing