Here is one of a series of talks by spiritual
leader Lola McDowell Lee, spanning two decades
from the early 70s through the 90s. Lola was
a Zen Roshi, whose Rinzai lineage included Dr.
Henry Plutov and renowned Zen master Shigetsu
Sasaki. Lola was a religious scholar as well
as an ordained Christian minister. While the
talks are focused mainly on Zen and Buddhism,
Lola drew on many spiritual traditions, including
those of Jesus, Plato, Lao Tzu, the Hindu Vedas,
Meister Eckhart, and Gurdjieff. Pali word for
Dharma. And Pada means foot or path. So the way
to go to the Dharma is about making it very brief,
at least have an hour. So we continue reading
from it. Mistaking the false for the true and
the true for the false. You overlook the heart.
and fill yourself with desire. See the false
as false, the true as true. Look into your heart
and follow your nature. An unreflecting mind
is a poor roof. Passion, like the rain, floods
the house. But if the roof is strong, there is
shelter. Whoever follows impure thoughts suffers
in this world and the next. In both worlds he
suffers and how greatly when he sees the wrong
he has done. But whoever follows the law is joyful
here and joyful there. In both worlds he rejoices
and how greatly when he sees the good he has
done. For great is the harvest in this world
and greater still in the next. However many holy
words you read, however many you speak, what
good will they do if you do not act upon them?
Lazy cowherd, counting others cows, having none
of his own, what good is parroting of holy texts
if a man will not get up and gather holiness?
Words do not matter. What matters is the Dharma.
What matters is action rightly performed after
lust, hate and folly are abandoned with true
knowledge and serene mind and complete detachment
from the fruit of action. I like that, that what's
in the middle you see doesn't fit with that at
all. You see that? How can you strive for rewards
here and hereafter and want to be detached and
you know, from the fruits of the action. I'm
sorry Buddha, but it doesn't fit. See, I almost
left that out, but, you know, it's, you know,
you got to hear it how it is. And the there is
another translation, which, you know, in those
act upon the law, act upon the Dharma, act upon
the law, give up the old ways, which are the
passion and the enmity and the folly. know the
truth and find peace, then share the way. Lots
of translations around and about. Now we are
apt to say, truth is. It just is. And ontologically
speaking, truth. Which would be, let us say,
the truth of being or the truth of existence.
truth of existence and That kind of truth is
You can't add to it and you can't take away from
it. It is it is what it is. It's the truth and
as a human being it is to be my effort and Your
effort To find it there with the truth to uncover
it in ourselves And for this truth we don't need
to exert ourselves to invent things like we do
for other truths, which we do invent. And we've
been in fact about this kind of effort a little
bit too long of inventing what truth could be.
We simply need to discover it in ourselves, to
uncover it in ourselves, and that's truth. What
stops us from discovering it? What stops you
from discovering the truth in you? Well, we can
look to our backgrounds. What we have been taught
in religious fields. We were taught basically
by and large, all of us. Maybe not all of you,
but most of us. Basically we went to Sunday school.
And we heard these stories for children. They
were myths. And they were told by people who
didn't know they were myths. They took them to
be the truth. And not only did they not know
they were myths, at least where I went to Sunday
school, they didn't know they were telling me
myths. And not only when I was a little kid,
but when I was 12, when I was 16, they were still
telling me the same thing. And they don't know
that it is myth build upon myth, build upon myth,
build upon myth. Such as, We could take, for
example, the Virgin Mary. This story has been
traced back to Isis, so that Isis is Mary, and
then traced back even before that. Some of these
tales have come along all You know, like 15 ,000
years they've come along. There's a lot of similar
things. It's in the Old Testament, you know,
the Jewish people are looking for Yahweh. And
they have this personal God, which is what it
is. It's a tribal God. with these myths, we should
understand, you know, that this is what we have
been living with, and it's not the truth. Not
the truth that we're looking for, or at least
that I'm putting this on you, you know, but the
truth that you're looking for. You want the truth
what is? And some people believe so strongly
in these myths that... have been ground into
us, that they will invent things to keep them
going. They invent things in their lives to make
them misfit. And they don't think they're lying.
Not at all. Because they have these beliefs.
and they invent on top of the beliefs why that's
okay. That's how they cope. We are conditioned
by these myths and now we're seeking the truth
and they become barriers, these myths. And when
we are confronted with this myth within ourselves
or some version of it, it's difficult to reflect
on that which really is because we're enmeshed,
as it were, in the myth, in the barrier. Also,
this truth that we're looking for is not a logical
conclusion. You can't put two and two together
and come up with four in this instance. You know,
it's like we're pro -ing and con -ing. I can
add this and I can take this away and jiggle
these things around and oh, that's what it is
because you see the mind has come up with something
now. It isn't that at all. It is rather a reality.
It is the numinal and the phenomenal reality.
And being so surrounded by phenomenal reality
and numinal reality, how is it that we can't
seem to find it? It's incredible, huh? It's everywhere.
There is not a place that you can look that it
is not. Of course, once you see it, it's very
obvious that this is what it is. This is the
kind of world we live in. We live in God's world
in reality. Also, when it boils down to the nitty
gritties, truth is not an idea. I have ideas.
I have had ideas all down through the years.
We all have ideas. I have an idea that I'm a
woman and my hair is blonde and my eyes are blue
and all this kind of stuff. Well, so we can say
then our ideas are if we were born in India we
would say I'm a Hindu or I could say I'm a Sufi
or I could say I'm a Christian or I could say
I'm a Zenist. And if this idea is persistent
in the mind, it's a barrier. And then we have
such barriers as, I am poor. Which means being
poor I can get through the gate faster than if
I had money. Not true. This isn't the kind of
poor that Jesus was speaking of. And then we
come to this little thing of I'm worthy and I'm
not worthy. Barriers. They're ideas that we hold.
So we not only have ideas, we have foolish ideas.
And not only do we have foolish ideas, we pride
ourselves on them. Well, it's a fact. You know,
we got both ends of the pole, you know, this
thick. Poor me, I am so unworthy. Or look at
me, how lucky I am. Both of them, ego trips.
Yeah. And then, you know, holding to these ideas,
we come, you know, I don't really know the truth,
but I have a great many ideas about it. You see,
and already we've got another barrier. I mean
either you're gonna know it or you don't know
it. This kind of truth is not, I haven't got
many ideas about it. So just drop the whole cotton
pickin' mess, you know. And if you do, you just
drop it all. There you are confirming the truth.
You're just facing this truth itself. Or is this
what you are fearful will happen? So we are admonished
to look within. Go in, look within. What we think
we know. What we have been told, what we think
we know, we have acquired, we've been told or
we've read or we've heard or however, this is
not your knowing. These are disturbances in the
mind. If it's not yours, it's not authentic.
If you have not witnessed the truth or the reality
or whatever, if you haven't witnessed it, then
what you're spouting is not authentic. The truth
must be perceived, seen, Look at it. Just to
look at it, huh? And for you to see it directly,
I mean, booms, you know, the truth. I mean, the
vastness of this world. It's so immeasurable
and it is so tiny. To perceive it, you know,
directly, as it is, so that it is the truth you
are seeing. It takes a lot of effort on your
part. Your payment for this truth is your effort.
And there is nothing in this world that's for
free. You pay your money and you take your choice
always. There is nothing in this world that doesn't
require some kind of effort. And you can go up
and down the ladder. Birds work. Look at them
work. All day long, out gathering food and they
pick up little pieces of straw and grass and
they build their little nest and they feed their
young. And you know, they almost starve themselves
trying to feed their young. They're busy, busy,
busy, busy. And all the time they're singing
and they're joyful. You know, they're living.
But they're paying. Animals the same. Foxes dig
holes and have their young you know then they
got to run around and gather food for them and
protect them This is the world over Whatever
you want be it a roof over your head or food
for your stomach or food for your emotions You
know which is coping or with a relationship That's
food for the emotions You can starve, you know,
emotionally. And then we have food for the mind.
You read, you listen to television, and what
are you feeding your mind? And then as human
beings, we need food for the spirit, you know,
so that it can become manifest. So that we have
then our meditation, which is our effort, and
it's our discipline. It's our payment. Food.
So the spirit can live in us. Now, wherever we
were born, whether it was in Europe or Japan,
I've written... It's true. Speaking of Japan,
China, United States, all of this is accidental.
Wherever you're born, it's an accident. Remember
that. We've hooked into some things. We do not
like to acknowledge that it's to no purpose.
No. What we relieve as a religion from childhood
on is also accidental. Because wherever we're
born, that's the religion we're taught in. And
from this accident, we must extract ourselves.
Now looking at our lives here in this western
culture, this western world, We would like to
be awake. After all, that's why we sit. We want
to know this thing. We want to know the Dharma,
and we want to know the truth, and we want to
know the Buddha, and we want to know what really
is a sangha, and so on and so forth. Right? Sure.
Whatever effort you make, whatever effort you
are making, whatever effort they are making in
the monasteries in Japan, and in China, and in
Europe, and in India, and in these United States
are mediocre compared to that of Buddha. You
know, when he discovered these four gates, he
told his attendant to get his horse and he rode
out. to the edge of the forest and gave the horse
to the attendant and told him to go back. And
there was a cemetery there and some executed
convicts were there ready to be buried. And he
took their clothes and gave his clothes to his
attendant and told him to give them to the poor
people and sent them back. And he went on ahead.
In India at that time, convicts wore saffron
-colored robes. And this is how come the Buddhist
monks wear saffron -colored robes, because the
Buddha stole them there from these dead people
out of their graves way back when. And with his
sword, he cut off his hair. And he vowed that
the robe, the clothes that he had on, and that
he was going to get a bowl that was all that
he would own. And he would eat only such food
as was given him. And of course, we've got to
realize that at that time in India, the holy
ones were given food by the people. devout people
who hoped that this way they would attain some
merit, you know, by feeding one who was holy.
Anyway, think of the courage this man had. I
mean, he's a prince, lived in a palace, had everything,
and now he comes to this. And wandering through
the forest, he came to these teachers, and he
studied with the best that he could find, matching
them in their austerities and going even further
with his mortifications, as they call it. And
then discovering, because he would sit and he
would have these experiences, and this light
would shine in him. He always said, be a lamp
unto yourself. this light would shine in him.
And he found that these teachers he was with
hadn't reached the goal that he had. So he'd
move on to some other teachers. And finally,
after about six years, he went off on his own
because he couldn't find anybody else. And he
wandered around through the forest and he punished
his body, you know, thinking that maybe these
teachers that didn't know as much as he did,
you know, hadn't been severe enough with the
body. They hadn't been austere enough. So he
starved himself to break identification with
the body. And he at that time became so emaciated
that he came to this little stream and he couldn't
get across. And he was so skinny that if he went
like that and he could feel a spine through his
stomach. And at that time he had these five followers.
And they followed him because of his intense
austerities. Oh, they thought this was wonderful.
This is the way to do it. You know, every people
over there, they sleep on nails and all that
kind of stuff. This is the way to do it. And
then not being able to get across this little
stream, he realized he didn't have any strength.
And he realized also in thinking the thing through,
that he was not thinking things through, that
he was no longer meditating well. It had been
a long time since he had had this light, you
know, shining. He couldn't sustain the concentration,
you know, and so he ate. This woman came down
to the stream and fed him. She came down to...
wash her clothes or something, get water for
the baby. She had a new little baby. And so she
fed him. And these five followers were aghast.
You know, they followed him because he was doing
this, you know, all these austerities. And here
he changed around. And so they left him and he
was alone. So what with this woman feeding him,
why he regained his strength? And then he found
this very tranquil spot under a fig tree and
he covered it all nice with fresh grass and he
folded his legs under him and drawing himself
very straight. He took a very solemn vow that,
come what may, you know, let my body rot and
let my bones turn to ashes. I will not get up
from here. Until I have found the way beyond
death and decay You see what we do is mediocre
Hmm yeah now when he sat down the moon was rising
I Mean it was really a beautiful tranquil night
and He was filled with this determination and
he had all this peace within him that he had
now the strength once more to do it and he entered
a very deep meditation. The senses all closed
down. Deep meditation. And this concentration
within him flowed completely undisturbed by the
whole outer world and the inner world. And then,
as the legend goes, Amata appeared before him.
the tempter, just as the Satan came to Jesus
in the desert. Pretty much the same thing now.
It is interesting how parallel these myths are.
Mata is the Hindu god of death and he represents
every selfish passion. They call him the striker.
Because he attacks without warning, as you well
know. And as you also well know, he never plays
by our rules. He has his own, and as far as he's
concerned, any kind of entrapment is fair. Fair
game. Yup. Rules, you know, after all these are
our ideas. So Mara sent first these beautiful
daughters that he had, these dancing women that
cavorted around the Buddha as he sat there. And
he was unmoved. He just simply deepened the meditation.
And then Mara came at him with his army. Lust,
cowardice, doubt, hypocrisy, desire for fame,
desire for honor. And like a mountain, the Buddha
sat there, plunging into consciousness. So finally,
Mara appeared in person and challenged him. Who
had given him the right to escape this realm?
This realm of death and decay. Who had given
him the right? to do this. And the Buddha didn't
argue with him. He simply, this is the place
where he placed his palm on the earth, and the
earth itself gave witness, you know. And it was
like a cry, the sound of the witnessing of the
birds and the animals, all of nature. responding,
crying. They felt he had come to rescue. There
was a way out of death and decay, out of sorrow.
So in front of this, Mara again retreated. And
then in the morning, the Buddha opened his eyes
and he saw the morning star. and the tree under
which he was sitting burst into bloom and showered
him with blossoms. He was the Buddha. He was
he who is awake. He had escaped death. Then this
Mara played another card and he came to him and
he says, you, you, you, he whispered, you. You
have escaped from my realm. You have plumbed
the depths of consciousness. And you know well
how difficult it is. You sought with clear eyes.
Others' eyes are covered with dust, seeking only
their own satisfaction. Do you see anyone throwing
away the toys of the world? even in the midst
of sorrow. Do you really think they will listen
to you? How many will even try to wipe the dust
from their eyes? And this shook the Buddha. He
was shocked by this. It never occurred to him,
you know. He hadn't thought about it before.
You know, if he's looking, naturally everybody
else is looking. Naturally everybody else is
looking. Like I said to Henry once, you know,
it would be nice if you said this and this and
this along this line while you're talking to
the group. There are some of those who are seeking.
Oh yes, of course, isn't everybody? Anyway, is
Buddha now sitting under this tree? He's sitting
there and he's beginning to think and reflect
upon the impossibility of his mission. Who would
listen? Listen. And then not only not listening,
who would even act upon his words that love begets
love? Guided by their own passions, How many
would be willing to make the effort to base their
lives on this truth that love begets love? And
he sat there, weeks, and finally his confidence
rebuilt. Maybe there's a few. You know, as I
said, hope springs in the heart eternal. Terrible.
Certainly everyone desires There is an end to
suffering and sorrow. Even if they don't want
to be waken, do I? They at least want to get
out of their suffering. Sure. Sure. To those
who will listen, I will teach the Dharma. And
for those who act upon it, the Dharma itself
will set them free. And so he worked. some further
weeks about how he would present what he knew
and then he set forth to teach. See, now he could
help others. He could help others make this same
crossing that he did out of the realm of death
and decay into the realm of eternal life. So
they think of him and he has been called a cosmic
ferryman, you know, the ferryboat, and he's represented
as, you know, being on this ferry boat, little
boat, that he's got this long stick and he's
guiding his way over, you know, and he has been
there represented as calling to others, you know,
when he's out in this boat. Anybody for the other
shore? Anyway, interesting. Truth is always the
truth. False is always a false. The truth is
always the truth. This is what matters. And out
of this, we have right desire that we want to
know the right way. And wanting to know the right
way, we can finally have the right action. See,
out of this, then he built his... noble eightfold
path. So, mistaking the false for the true and
the true for the false, we overlook the heart
and we fill ourselves with desire. The ancient
Greeks, thousands of years ago, several, they
held to the belief that the heart was the seat
of wisdom and that what we felt was more true
than what we thought. Of course, the heart feeling,
you know, this is more of an intuition type of
thing, not instinctual so much as intuitive.
What we feel intuitive are hearts. But then and
we could also view it from a purely physical
point of view, you know the heart It beats and
it beats and it beats beats all the time all
the time Day and night it beats and it is always
Pulsating in this present. It is always now as
far as the heart is concerned always in the head
It's never now in the heart always now. In the
head we got memories of the past and we got future
desires. Heart doesn't have any desires. It doesn't
have any memories. It doesn't know anything about
what you've been taught. Your intuition doesn't
or even your heart beating doesn't know all this
stuff that we've been taught. Intuition knows
nothing of tradition, nothing. The heart just
beats now, now, now, always. So that, you know,
there is an old exercise that when you're perplexed
and you're not coping well, just listen to the
beat of your heart and get in tune with it and
you'll be okay. You'll just be okay. Remember
it next time you get angry. Go back to your heart.
Just watch it beat. You know, that's what the
Greek said, the heart lives in God. It's always
now. Where do you live? In the head, huh? In
the heart? In the head? It's been said that the
head is the problem and the heart is the solution.
And then that we look at the true and see it
as false. Or that the false appears to be true
because we have become false to ourselves. to
this heart. We no longer try to pick up the intuition
and let it work. To know the truth is truth.
That's waking up. Coming home. Coming home. Now
the Buddha doesn't say, follow the scriptures.
He doesn't say, follow me. He's not training
you to create a certain type of character to
present to the world. What you're doing is working
to be rid of all types so that you can be you.
So instead of trying to make you over in a particular
way to present, your good manners and your good
looks to the world. He takes it away and gives
you in its place courage. He's always giving
you encouragement to follow your own nature.
Be true to yourself. Be true to yourself. Be
strong enough to listen to your own heart. Be
true to your nature. What he means is be true
to the Dharma. Follow the Dharma. The Dharma
is your nature. Just as water flows downhill
and fire rises. There's a certain nature in you.
And when all the conditionings are dropped, suddenly
there's your nature. And that's the Dharma. And
to become this real self, or sometimes we call
it the no -self, or the true self, or the true
identity, this is the inexhaustible law. Man
is a potential god. We are not god, but we are
gods. A person might say that our nature is consciousness.
Well, what does that tell you? Nothing. I tell
you, your nature is consciousness. What does
consciousness do? How does it act? What does
it think? Does it follow certain precepts? Does
it go after the Ten Commandments? Does it tell
you to go to church every Sunday? Is this consciousness?
Is this what it does? What about this consciousness?
Come on, you're conscious. You're sitting there
and you're very conscious. Well, almost. But
anyway, you're conscious after a fashion. What
about this consciousness? Hmm? What about it?
How does it act? Does it tell you what to do?
Are you always telling it? You know, it's like
we're living in a cage. In our conditioning,
you know? It's a cage around us. And even if
circumstances changed, which our circumstances
have changed from time to time, You know, they
do have, you know, if you look back over your
lives, they have changed. But we keep right on
with the characteristics that we picked up in
these first few years and we just keep repeating
them. They may not even fit the circumstances
anymore, but we keep right on trying to put all
of our past conditioning into the present situation.
And no wonder the shoe doesn't fit. with something
that we're doing you know the very at the very
beginning when this the context of the situation
whereby we develop these characteristics maybe
they were meaningful at the time but that situation
has certainly disappeared a long time ago But
we're just repeating the same of thoughts and
the same desires and the same fears and the same
hopes and the same beliefs etc. etc. and so on.
Did we find out what it was in Spanish? I looked
it up and they don't have such a thing. They
got on and on but I can't remember what that
is. And then there's such a thing in the French.
It's probably etc. again. Yeah, that's what it
is. Maybe I better learn Greek. They must have
a word for it. So anyway, now basically by and
large we react to situations. So that we're putting
our conditioning into the thing, you know. We
don't respond. We react. A man of consciousness
responds. You know, there comes about this certain
spontaneity. He is reflecting what confronts
him. He's not trying to get his conditioning
crowded into the situation. Reaction is quite
a different action than response. In response,
you are the action. That's responding. Reaction
is, oh my God, I'm going to put this in here,
fill them it up. As opposed to the reaction,
the response being you. And I mentioned this
before earlier, this go within, going within,
turn within. And people come to me with the question,
you know, what do you mean by in? How do you
go in? What's in? This idea is not new to the
West, you know. The religions, the so -called
new religions that have come over, you know,
from the East, you know. They're not saying something
so foreign by saying go within. Jesus said it,
you know. The kingdom of heaven is within you.
Why stand she gazing? Go within. That's what
he meant. Go within. We always seem to go out.
Our eyes reach out there, looking, searching.
The ears reach out there, listening for sound.
The body wants to touch, you know. And the world
comes from out there, so we're going out to meet
it all the time. What is it then that goes in?
What goes within? It sounds strange to some people,
you know? Go in! Go home! No? Home! In! And Kierkegaard
said, you know, at one point that Religion means
inwardness. Inwardness. So turn around, you know.
Mind has been going out. Turn it around and go
in. You know, somewhere, once upon a time I read
this article at Ford when he made his first cars,
they had no reverse gear. The reverse gear was
a later addition. And you know, that's a problem.
Well, you wouldn't picture it. I mean, once in
a while, you have any old tin jalopies we used
to have, why the gears would go out and you couldn't
go in reverse. Why, even if you wanted to back
up just a few feet, you had to go all the way
around the block. So a reverse is needed. Now
and then, a reverse is needed. And we have it.
It's built in. Hmm? Who has ever asked the question
about going out? Nobody. Nobody. Huh? It's just
plain natural if you go out. Nobody here has
ever asked me, how do you go out? Huh? No. So
I'll tell you something, going in is just as
natural. Hmm. We've just forgotten how, because
we've layered ourselves with all this sense data.
So, when we think, it's out. Thinking is out,
non -thinking is in. Without a thought, you try
it sometime, without any thought, you can't go
out. Does that say something for your meditation?
Without a desire, you can't go out. Sitting silently,
doing nothing. Where will you be? So go in. You
simply stop going out. That's all. Going in simply
means stop going. Just stop going. Isn't that
simple? Yeah. And he speaks of here in this unreflecting
mind doesn't shelter us. And he is not thinking
or he doesn't mean a mind that is pro -ing and
con -ing. A reflecting mind is a mind which is
the ability of the mind itself. It reflects.
This is the mirror mind. And a mirror mind is
a reflecting mind. And an unreflecting mind is
a mind that hasn't realized that it does reflect.
So an unreflecting mind is not a good protection
from the rains. Lazy cowherd. Counting others
cows. Having none of his own. What good is parroting
of holy texts if a man will not get up and gather
holiness? What is the point of counting other
people's cows? Well, he won't feed you. It won't
nourish you, but in the name of religion it happens.
In other areas too, but it's easier to see it
here. Trying to make the scriptures, no matter
which scriptures they are, the Vedas, the Upanishads,
the Koran, the Bible, any of it, trying to make
it conform to what you think it is, you know,
to put into it your meaning. You're not supposed
to put into it your meaning. You're supposed
to understand what they mean. Don't put into
it what you believe. What you believe may be
wrong. Ten years from now you won't believe the
same thing. I promise you. Some people spend
their whole lives trying to explore what others
think of passages in the scripture. Lazy cowherd.
They read this into it and they read that into
it. Well, why not just go in and perceive what
it really is? You know, Jesus said, you must
be born again. Well, what did he mean? Certainly
that's not an emotional state and it is mostly
interpreted as these days by televangelists.
or like the man that I met at a party who had
been reborn already four times and was looking
forward to more. Neato, huh? No, and he also
said foxes have their holes and birds have their
nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lay
his head. What did he mean? Now, not your interpretation.
You find out the truth. because that is a really
good corn. The foxes have their holes and the
birds have their nests, but the son of man hath
nowhere to lay his head. What's he talking about?
And in the Gospel of St. Thomas we find when
you make the two as one and the above as the
below and when you make eyes in the place of
an eye and a hand in the place of a hand and
a foot in the place of a foot and an image in
the place of an image. What does he mean? What's
he talking about? Very perplexing. And his disciples
said to him, 24 prophets spoke in Israel, and
they all spoke about thee. Because you know,
in the Old Testament, there's always this, that
the Messiah is going to come. And so there were
24 prophets, and they all spoke about thee. They're
saying to him and he said that you have dismissed
the living one who is before you and You have
spoken about the dead Going in This business
of and maybe I can't do it and well Buddha could
but look who he was. Well, that's who he was
afterwards You know Before the Dharma, in front
of the Dharma, within the Dharma, everyone is
equal. How could it be otherwise? You have the
same right as anyone else. And if you're hooked
on that, which every once in a while somebody
is, don't! You have every right to become awakened.
Give up the old ways, he says, the passion, the
enmity, the folly. Know the truth and find peace.
Share the way. Well, this is, of course, your
choice. There is a world of truth and peace waiting
for you. We come with this beautiful thing of
viva canandas. Thine only is the hand that holds
the rope that drags thee on. Let go thy hold.
Osandas and bold. Yeah. You know, we sit together.
We're sharing the way. Now and then as we sit
it's like there's all of our new when we walk,
you know There's all of a sudden this one force.
It's all become united and it's one and then
meditation really happens And through the meditation
the Dharma So you act upon the law and as you
act upon the Dharma you act upon the truth you
act upon the Dharma You act out of that. And
never mind all this other little stuff that doesn't
amount to a hill of beans anyway. Not really.
And at one time, you know, King Melinda came
to visit our little friend, Narva Zena. King
Melinda asked to be taught. So somewhere down
in, I mean, there's several books and two or
three volumes about Nagazina and King Melinda.
But King Melinda at one point asked Nagazina,
have you respected Nagazina, seen the Buddha?
No sire. Did your gurus see him? No, sire. Well,
what if I say then that there is no such person
as the Buddha? Sire, says Nagasena, have you
ever seen the Himalayan River Uhá? No, Nagasena?
Did your father ever see it? Not that I know
of. Then there is no such river as Uhá. Oh, but
there is, Nagazina, there is. I may not have
seen it and my father may not have seen it, but
there is a river called Uhá. So, sire, I may
not have seen him and my gurus may not have seen
him, but Buddha is. Good, holy Nagazina, says
King Melinda. But is he greater than all? Is
he really greater than all? Yes, sire. But you
have not seen him, Nagazina. How do you know
that he is greater than all? Let me explain,
says Nagazina. Could those who have not seen
the great ocean declare it to be powerful, deep,
and immeasurable, and the fullness thereof unaffected,
though the five great rivers flow into it all
the time." Well, yes, they could. So could I,
sire. I have seen great disciples who have attained
nirvana declare that the Buddha is greater than
all. But where is the Buddha? Here or there?
Neither here nor there, Sire. What do you mean,
Nagazina? Supposing, Sire, the flames of a great
fire are extinguished. Where do they go? Here
or there? Where? Neither here nor there, says
King Malinda. So when the Buddha achieved nirvana,
sire, he became neither here nor there. But you
may know him by the Dharma. For he taught the
Dharma and he left it behind. So this teaching
of the Buddha goes... Words do not matter. What
matters is the Dharma. What matters is action
rightly performed after lust and hate and folly
are abandoned with true knowledge and serene
mind and complete detachment from the fruit of
action. Act in the Dharma. If you find Lola's
talks valuable, more will be posted in weeks
to come.