drafty mountain hut

The Discourse on the Inexhaustible Lamp of the Zen School
by Zen Master Torei Enji
with Commentary by Master Daibi of Unman
Translated by Yoko Okuda
Download pdf: here
Purchase: here

For the 2020 Autumn Training period we are studying The Discourse on the Inexhaustible Lamp by Torei zenji. This is primarily through dharma talks at sesshin and similar opportunities but also through a number of planned open discussions. All of these talks and discussion will be held via Zoom due to the pandemic and thus can be recorded. Periodically these will be posted here along with the basic information on each talk and the material covered.

The first series of talks from July through September 2020 can be found here:
Discourse Talks July-Sept.

The Discourse on the Inexhaustible Lamp of the Zen School
October and November 2020 Dharma Talks

9) October 13th, 2020
Reading for the monthly Virtual Watermoon Dojo gathering
Continued Chapter 1 – Lineage part 7 & 8 p. 46 to 48
Discussed the value of knowing the ideas and history of early buddhism as well as the risks of attaching to these notions. As always it is a middle way. We don’t wish to wallow in this kind of material and in many ways it is immaterial to the direct practice. The issue of the self and how our orientation to practice needs to be for awakening for all things and not toward the self. Where traces of the self remain.
Download Audio: Discourse Talk Part 9

10) October 16th, 2020
October Virtual KoSesshin day 1
Continued Chapter 1 – Lineage part 9, 10 and 11 (Torei Only) p. 49 to 54
Spoke about the Prajna Paramita, the wisdom of emptiness. Talked about how there is this view from Torei and Daibi that you can look at the evolution of the Buddhist teachings as the course a practitioner takes: begins selfishly, sees into imperamance, needs encouragement, sees into emptiness then buddha nature.Talked a lot about teaching to mixed audiences, about the mythological “buddha eye” how to reach the whole audience in the teacher. Exposed teaching device of generalities and admonitions to practice. Talked about working one on one with a student giving them what they need. This can be seen as medicine for some simply expressing Buddhanature like in the Flower Sutra can suffice.
Download Audio: Discourse Talk Part 10

11) October 17th, 2020
October Virtual KoSesshin day 2
Continued Chapter 1 – Lineage part 11 – 13 p. 54 to 59
So this was on the Flower Sutra, transmission, working with koans, koan checking questions and so on. Embodying realization, seeing into original nature and working through the entire koan curriculum. The point of transmission is to know that a teacher has gone through this process. Working with the teacher in sanzen. Don’t attach to these talks.
Download Audio: Discourse Talk Part 11

12) October 18th, 2020
October Virtual KoSesshin day 3
Continued Chapter 1 – Lineage part 11, 12 & 13 p. 54 to 57
This talk is a condensed version of the previous talk coverage the same sections of the text. It was for a slightly different audience and is shorter thus more compressed. While there is some variance in examples and emphasis if one has listened to the previous it can be skipped.
Download Audio: Discourse Talk Part 12

13) November 19th, 2020
Virtual WMD Visit
Continued Chapter 1 – Lineage part 14&15 p. 57 – 63
Concluded the Indian Lineage, Bodhidharma, 1-5 patriarchs, Hui-neng
Noted that the Indian lineage is largely mythological. Discussed the mythologies around Bodhidharma including martial arts and Qi Gong. Talked about Qi in Chan. The story with Hui’ko and commitment and also the mythological aspects. Discussed the self, the utility value of the self and not identifying with it. Some discussion of Sosan Kanchi and the lack of historical reference.  Chan teaching as about removal and the use of the historical record to remove supports.  What remains.
Download Audio: Discourse Talk Part 13

References

1) The Discourse on the Inexhaustible Lamp of the Zen School
by Zen Master Torei Enji with Commentary by Master Daibi of Unman
Translated by Yoko Okuda
Tuttle Publishing (September 15, 1996)
ISBN: 0804830878
Download: here Purchase: here

2) Zen’s Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings
Andy Ferguson.
Wisdom Publications. Expanded edition (February 22, 2011)
ISBN-10: 9780861716173