Introduction
Welcome to Day 3 of our October–November 2023 seven-day sesshin.
I’ll continue reading from Subtle Sound: Zen Teachings of Maurine Stuart, edited by Roko Sherry Chayat.
Today’s talk is titled "Building a Temple."
Building a Temple
Maurine tells a story:
One day, the Buddha, while walking, pointed to a spot and said,
"This is a wonderful place to build a temple."
A bodhisattva stepped forward, placed a flower there, and said,
"I have just built a beautiful temple."
(Traditionally, it's Indra who places a blade of grass, but the spirit is the same.)
Maurine's point:
Where is the best place to build a temple?
Right here, inside each of us.
Wherever we are, that’s the place.
Trusting the Mind
Maurine says:
When we first practice, we often get tangled in concepts.
We wonder: Am I doing this right? Am I having the right experience?
Books can inspire—but when we sit, we don’t ponder them.
We let the mind rest in its natural state.
If we trust this mind, right now,
What do we lack?
Practice is about allowing the "small self" to melt away.
As we do, we uncover what we really are:
The pure, clear, lighted mind.
Endless Beginning
D.T. Suzuki, at 90, said he was only just beginning to understand Zen.
True insight is endless—always just beginning.
A quote from Dōgen says:
"You get it halfway there. When you think you've got it, keep going."
There’s no final finish line.
Only endless opening, endless steps forward.
Thoughts and Thinking
People often think meditation means "no thoughts."
But that's a misunderstanding.
Maurine clarifies:
Thoughts will always arise.
The problem isn’t thoughts—it’s getting entangled in them.
We don't affirm or deny them—we simply let them pass.
Zen is learning to let thoughts be without chasing after them.
A Story: A Beautiful Mind
John Nash, portrayed in A Beautiful Mind, saw imaginary people due to mental illness.
He eventually learned to acknowledge them—but not engage.
They faded into the background.
Same with our thoughts:
If we fight them, they grow stronger.
If we compassionately let them pass, they lose their grip.
Our Thoughts Are Not Our Enemy
As Roshi says,
"The brain is an organ that secretes thoughts."
Thoughts are not bad.
The skill is not investing in every thought that arises.
Practices like counting breaths, chanting, or working with koans help center us without argument or judgment.
Observing the Mind
Ajahn Chah, the Thai Forest Master, described it this way:
Your mind is a house.
Thoughts are guests who come knocking.
You stay seated—aware—without inviting them to stay.
Eventually, the guests stop bothering.
This is the Buddha’s stable, unshakable awareness.
Everything Passes
Maurine reminds us:
Pain, weariness, loneliness, resentment—all these states are temporary.
We are not our passing conditions.
At our core, we are Buddha from the very beginning.
Everything changes.
Grasping and rejecting only make it harder.
Stay seated. Keep watching.
Sesshin gives us the chance to experience this deeply.
Breathing In, Breathing Out
Maurine continues:
Even the most seasoned teachers still like being praised and dislike criticism.
That's human.
But Zen practice asks us to meet praise and blame with the same steady heart.
The real koans are not in books.
They are the everyday challenges of our lives.
Working with Life
How do we handle life’s ups and downs?
By staying grounded.
By practicing letting go, not clinging to praise or shrinking from blame.
By understanding:
"We are not here to get something. We are here to let go of everything."
Zen is seeing the absolute in the everyday—not resisting life but flowing with it.
Surrender, Not Resistance
To live freely:
Stop scanning the horizon for trouble.
Surrender resistance.
Allow life to flow through you like music, without self-consciousness.
It’s like water dripping on stone—small changes over time create deep transformations.
Letting Go of Roles
Maurine says:
We cling to identities—mother, caretaker, lawyer, activist—as security blankets.
But just like the rabbit on the lawn, we don’t need a "reason" to exist.
When we forget ourselves,
We join the dance of life more fully and effectively.
Practice in Daily Life
People ask, How do I bring practice into daily life?
Maurine says:
The problem isn’t thinking—it's losing ourselves in thought.
The skill is noticing when you’re caught—and letting go.
Again and again.
No need to argue with yourself inside your head.
Just notice—and come back.
Silence and Simplicity
During sesshin:
Silence supports clarity.
Mindful walking, eating, working—all support clarity.
Even inner silence—dropping the chatter—is crucial.
The Three Fundamental Precepts
Do good.
Avoid harm.
Keep your mind pure and warm.
That's Zen practice.
Thunderous Silence
Maurine ends with a story of Vimalakirti, the layman sage:
When asked, What is the doctrine of nonduality?
Vimalakirti answered with thunderous silence.
All our teachers point us back to the same place:
Turn the light inward.
Trust the ground of being.
Let go—and realize what has always been.
Closing
We’ll now recite the Four Vows.
Quick Takeaways
Zen is about building a temple within yourself.
Insight is endless: you're always just beginning.
Thoughts are not the enemy; entanglement is.
True Zen is ordinary, silent, patient, enduring.
Practice is letting go—not gaining anything.
Freedom comes from flowing with life, not against it.
