Lost Coin Class Notes September 2, 2008

How many people have their life wrapped around sex, power and money?  Where are these people?  A lot of you fear of becoming someone who is all about sex, power and money.  The media told you this is the average person.  The movies and TV support this.  People that are obsessed with happiness is more of a villain than trying to get sex, money and power.  What will consistently get you into trouble is desiring happiness.

KOAN:  Great Master Ma was dying, he was asked by his student, "How has your venerable health been?"  He answered "Sun face buddha, moon face buddha".  Sun face buddha means a being that will live for 1000 years like the sun, and Moon face buddha is a being that lives for a day and a night.  He is saying this is the same, you are the universe, the substance of being, only your thought makes it worse to live 1 day and night rather than 1000 years.  We have a continued chase for the sunny side (happiness) you never catch it.  The point is the chase, we are chasing something to get happy.  Will you be happier if you lives 10 years longer?  This teacher tries to cut through his students deeper belief.  On day and one night of enlightenment is the same as 1000 years of enlightenment.  Does anybody catch it?  Finally enough sex, money and power- so are you happy? It is never enough.  What we are thought is an illusion.  You will never reach happiness if you continually chase.  Take what you have, don't need to cure yourself if you are sad.  Daniel thinks a large number of people use different chemicals to make them feel better.  They are scared of feeling bad.  Beginning trade was based on silk, opium, and tea.  2/3 of trade were mood altering substance.  What happens if you feel OK about being sad or happy?  This is realization, you take out the duality.  That is the heart of Zen practice.

Poem:  Sunface Buddha, Moonface Buddha.  What kind of people were the ancient great teachers?  For 20 years I have suffered terribly, I have gone to the blue dragon's cave, getting into the students mind of delusion.  How many times have you thought you'd be happy if this occurred/  The only way to see this clearly is not thinking, sitting is not thinking.  We get up everyday thinking when we get somewhere it will be great.  If you have a good relationship your life will be better, if you have a nice home your life will be better, if you have enough money your life will be better, if you have a good job your life will be better.  If it is never enough your life will suck.  If you take what you have, choose it, you will be happy either way.  Being happy is an act unto itself not due to a certain circumstance.

In the Koan, the teacher is saying don't suspect I am unhappy that I have a day and 1/2 to live and not 1000 years.  If you were going to die right now, are you happy with the way you have lived your life?  If not, change it.

Daniel was close to death twice, blood pressure 30/10, what will bother you is oh my god, I wish I had lived.  It didn't hurt to be near death.  The time you are the happiest is when you are not thinking, but being in the garden, eating dinner, not afraid of just being.  PRACTICE STARTS WHERE CONCEPTS STOP.

How does sitting affect your body?  back relaxes, koan stays central while everything else goes, feel lighter, body disappears.

Daniels chess teacher related to Daniel, "Wherever you go there you are, except your luggage".

To get to that space some people count beads, some have a singing bowl and the vibration gets them into that space, hone in on your senses will get you into that space of sitting.

Two things to understand
	1)  The practice is about you and for your practice.  Most of that is mastering yourself.
	2)  The answer to getting happiness is between yourself, you will be quieter and think less.  Only you know if your life is your practice.  You create the atmosphere as a practitioner.

Frank Lloyd Wright's wife was a student of Gurdjieff.  He said you don't know the first thing about love.  Start simple and get a plant.  Water and care for it because the plant needs it.

The quieter you live your life the better your practice will be.  Don't be going everywhere and you will go deeper.  Like the tea ceremony.  Simple, your feelings are not who you are, they are not you.  When the mind is quiet you are happy, take what you get.

Anger is when expectations are not being met.  Try to take what you get.   Nobody has to do what we want them to do.  No matter how long you practice, your life is about you not about any other person, and not any other persons falt.  It never helps to have others do what you want.  Practice is always about you.  The quieter you are the better it works.  You never get sick of the quiet part of yourself.  It is about being here, this is your life, be there, be quiet, let what's around you come in.

When you are critical of yourself.  A kick in the butt is equal to a kick in the butt.  It doesn't matter if it is you or someone else doing the kicking.

Continue to be quiet, stop your mind and continue to sit.

In travel magazines they always show a man and a woman in a pool having a drink, you relax and feel good.  This is quiet, this is how you feel good.
