Zen Ox-Herding Pics - Part 3 of 3

In the end why do we do this in the beginning. We might do it out of curiosity out of desperation out of wanting to get high in some way who knows? Maybe relief of suffering maybe find out who we really are.

These are all have their validity so in the beginning, there could be many.

Causes for us to take on this practice.

But the final cause the RAT what's when you get right down to it? What is it going to be about?

This is my favorite and the last.

Essentia Lee, the Chinese version of Santa Claus.

Roly Poly Guy, the bag full of goodies.

Going into the marketplace handed him out.

There anyone who wants to take him.

Very ordinary OK.

The kind of person you wouldn't hesitate to talk to.

The kind of person you might not think.

Even.

Was in any way special unless you knew what to look for?

This is actually a historical character.

Someone that existed in Chinese history.

He was known as the cloth bag monk.

And that's essentially what he was a bag man, a street person in the capital of China.

During the Tang Dynasty in China, there was this well known sort of St person.

That was a kind of Buddhist monk.

But all he did was play with children all day.

And just hang out in the market Payson schmooze with People.

And everybody knew him and he was just sort of this like friendly guy and.

You know easy to get along with you never really think there was anything all that special.

But it was always just sort of around for People.

Particularly, like to give out.

Gifts to children things like that, and at night, he used to sleep in the snow.

Uh.

That should have been a giveaway right there that there was something.

A little unusual about his Physiology that may have been the result of.

Of something he was known to the citizens of chang'an, and they called him the boot. I harsh on booming's cloth. Diamonds bag and Hushang means among the cough bag Monk 'cause. He carried around these gifts to give to People.

The Emperor of China at that time was a Buddhist and meditator.

Who had his own Imperial preceptor his own sort of master right would have been like the most authoritative?

Monk in China of the time they call that the gouache are that's the the teacher of the emperor so one morning, the gotur.

Said your Majesty.

I don't know.

If you're aware or not, but the most enlightened.

Subject in your Kingdom died this morning.

And the Emperor said, who

And the Imperial Master said.

The cloth bag monk.

The Emperor couldn't believe it.

Brazil's like that was the most enlightened person.

In my Kingdom.

'Cause everybody just took him for granted.

So this becomes.

A sort of ideal for what an enlightened person should be like.

Very.

Ordinary very easily approachable just there therefore you.

Nothing all that special in the Indic Formulation.

Unenlightened.

Being is a God.

Is an archetype?

But in the Chinese formulation.

The enlightened being is.

A sort of.

Pudgy.

Easily approach.

Guy hanging out in the streets.

Available to People.

Uh but with these gifts to give.

So this is called?

This last picture is called entering the marketplace with hand outstretched.

We may start this path for various reasons.

But if we stay on it.

In the end.

This is where we end up.

We end up with what's called the Dow Shin in Chinese, the Bodhichitta.

The intense.

Call to be of service to our fellow being in one way beings.

In one way or another.

It's an automatic consequense of.

Having.

Understood the nature of consciousness, the nature of.

My mind.

Which is the nature of nature the nature of the source it's an automatic consequense of?

Knowing that your source is everyone source, but knowing that for real not in a sort of.

Feel good belief kind of way. But in a very tangible way moment by moment really inescapable in your moment by moment perceptions of things.

We're going to be going into the marketplace.

When we leave here.

Metaphorically.

We have a bag full of goodies.

And we can go with hand outstretched. Not that we're going to lay any trips on anybody.

But.

You have a gift to give.

The gift of the effects of your practice.

You may never speak about it explicitly but your pores will.

The pores of your skin that's teaching.

That's going into the marketplace, giving a gift to People.

If somebody asks you what you did, in your capable of giving.

A reasonable logical code coherent description of this practice.

You're giving a gift.

To someone.

And some of you.

Already and many of you eventually will discover that.

You will end up actually teaching maybe 1 or 2 People. Or maybe more People, you may have heard the.

The cliche when the students ready the teacher appears.

Well, I don't know about that, but I can definitely tell you that when the teachers ready, the students appear.

And you may notice that happening.

To you.

Do not be alarmed.

And understand that in the end.

Uh.

This is the.

The final goal of this practice.