Thank you for coming.

Thank you for providing me this opportunity not only to be here but also to share my research,

at least some of it with all of you, and there will be more opportunities in the future,

including next week, which I'm going to explain in a moment.

So basically when I was asked to do this, I wanted to do something completely new instead

of recycling old stuff and also wanted to make contribution to the center, I mean, obviously

a very small one.

So I set up to write an article for the journal.

It's a new journal, the second issue will be coming in the fall.

So what I'm going to talk about today, it's really a summary of the article.

I started it here and I finished it here.

So this is 100% done here in Ireland.

Okay, I did some in Florida where I was at home.

Actually most of the writing I did in Florida because I have my books there, but in between,

of course, I was always in spirit here.

So anyway, I decided because I kind of in terms of scheduling, I was asked to do the

reading session next week.

So I decided to kind of combine the two.

I'm still not sure what the reading session is supposed to be.

I was explained one thing and I went to a number of them which felt different than the

basic idea.

So I'm going to improvise a little bit, but I hope some of you, most of you will be able

to come and this is basically a summary.

It will be related.

I'm going to kind of do two things.

Basically have a little bit of a general introduction of Chan literature and some of the issues

in terms of reading, translating, interpreting Chan texts and then maybe go in terms of the

spirit and the requirement of this, go to some specific passages in its path, find some

passage that are a little bit difficult and maybe solicit your help.

But if you don't happen to be a heavy duty sinologist, you're perfectly fine.

Actually, even if you don't know Chinese, if you want to come, you can still show up.

It will be for the most part relatable and understandable.

All right.

So I've been here now for almost four months and I've had the opportunity to meet some

of you, talk.

I just spent two hours talking during the coffee break with you.

So I know a little bit about you.

I also know a little bit about myself.

I'm still trying to struggle to learn more or to forget more.

So there are various degrees, but really what I know about myself and about you with absolute

certainty, nothing except one thing.

We're all going to die sooner or later.

I hope it's later.

Actually, I'm ready to go anytime.

But still, I hope it's later.

And this is kind of at the core of not just Buddhism, but of religious life in general.

This unanswerable question about who we are, where we come, what's the meaning of life,

but also the big moment of going beyond, coming to end with our life and then meeting the

afterlife.

And of course, modern science as part of the scientific revolution told us they are going