This podcast is offered by the San Francisco Zen Center on the web at www.sfcc.org Our public programs are made possible by donations from people like you. Good evening. talk this evening about a fascicle written by Dogen called Body and Mind Study of the Way. Studying the way with the Buddha way, with your body and your mind. This word study, I read somewhere that Mizumi Roshi said that the translation of the Japanese term

[01:04]

We translate it as study, and he said a more accurate translation of the word is what's discovered... Turn down a little, please. What's discovered by constant engaging in something, as we engage it repeatedly, what becomes apparent? a little different, you know, so we can study the body. We constantly, we repeatedly engage it and something becomes apparent, this kind of study. Maybe a de-emphasizing that study is a cognitive process. And I thought it would be great to do this initiate this teaching with a dyad.

[02:10]

I've cooked up a dyad and I hope it isn't chaotic. But if it is chaotic, it'll be chaotic and we'll see what that teaches us. If you could pair up with someone beside you, and if you could turn and face them. And you can move forward, it might help if you move forward and fill up the space a little bit. And if you don't have a partner, just stand up and look around. Anyone else?

[03:14]

Okay. And of course, part of the challenge when we pair up with someone is that it triggers our usual social patterns. So Zen practice, dyads are more than a little anti-social, but in a beautiful way. I mean, the person in front of you is Buddha. It's just that it's not necessary to consider this encounter some way part of a usual social exchange with the agendas or concerns you bring the social exchanges. No, you're just meeting Buddha. This person is Buddha, meeting you, your Buddha.

[04:34]

We can also say this person is human, meeting you, human. your repertoire of emotions and experiences is extraordinarily similar to theirs, even though the details of your life are quite unique and maybe extraordinarily different from theirs. So, in preparation for the exercise, if you could sit in a way that allows your chest to be open, your diaphragm to be relaxed, and your abdomen have lots of space. Then we'll start with the breathing exercise. The point of the exercise is not to accomplish anything.

[05:37]

The point of the exercise is to to become body, to become body that is already body. But somehow, as Dogen Zenji says, without practice, it's not realized. And here's the exercise. Gently, through your nose, exhale, exhale, exhale, as far as you can. without straining, and then pause, and then exhale some more. And then pause, and then release and relax and let the inhale happen. And just do that a couple of times with as much attention to the mechanics and the experience of it as you can. Okay.

[07:28]

Now think of a recent incident that was evocative, that was significant, that evoked responses, positive or negative, really doesn't matter. What we're really looking for is an incident that happened with an energy, a significance that you can now, upon reflection, say, the response was like this. Just think of what that incident might be. Hopefully, recent. An incident from a year ago is now just the patterns of memory. If it was today, great, The last week is fine. An incident Hopefully something's coming to mind.

[09:03]

And here's the questions I would like you to ask yourself. You're going to tell your partner, but you're not going to tell them the incident. You're simply going to tell them about how the responses it brought up in you. You might think, how was it emotionally? Were you delighted? Were you frightened? Were you annoyed? Were you pleased? Were you saddened? And maybe, as often is the case, it was a mix of emotions. What was your emotional response?

[10:04]

And then, can you remember any particular physical response? Did your shoulders tighten? Did you smile? Did you turn your body away from the person? Did you leave the room? Did you move closer? Did you start breathing slower? is your physical response. And generalizing that in addition, any behaviors.

[11:31]

arose in response to the incident. And how did it affect your state of mind? Were you suddenly more aware? Did you feel numb that Did you move to becoming judgmental? Argumentative? Any other notable attributes of your response? Emotional, physical, behavioral, attitudinal, or anything else notable.

[12:58]

State of mind. And then if you could decide wordlessly who's going to tell who first. going to do it briefly, so be quite concise. But don't let the brevity trip you up. Don't think your emotions have to be said in two words. But still, not four paragraphs either. Okay? So when you're ready, you can just start. One person can talk, and the listener, when you're listening, Listen as thoroughly as you can, because you have a question to ask your partner when they finish. Listen as thoroughly as you can. And then whoever wants to start, can start now.

[14:03]

. [...] I'm supposed to stay with this. What did you do? No. [...] And then if you would please just start to draw your comments to, you don't have to finish immediately, but draw them to a close.

[16:37]

Then, for those of you who are listening, in your best Zen voice, if you could ask your partner, and what is it to practice with that? Okay, and if you could just throw to a close.

[18:38]

And then for the person who was recounting their tale, can you summarize your own, what is it to practice with it? Can you summarize it? In two or three or four words for yourself. Say it out loud so your partner can hear too. Okay. Sometimes brevity helps us to crystallize, make evident the essence of what a statement is.

[19:48]

And if you could just do that exercise again with the breath, sit up straight, you breathe out, then you pause, and then you just breathe out, as if you hadn't just breathed it out before. Then you pause, release, let the inhale happen. Okay, and then the person who was listening, if you could reflect for a moment and then your response.

[21:13]

Don't worry about the details of the incident. It's much more helpful if you don't bring them in. Just focus on the response that arose. Then when you're ready, the response emotionally, the response physical sensations, the response behaviorally, the response attitudinally, states of mind. Then when you're ready, you can tell your partner. ... [...]

[23:00]

It's a very easy task. Is that it? Because it's worth it. No. If you want to use it, it's worth it. It's worth it. It's worth it. . [...]

[24:01]

. We've got a problem in our situation, which has a similar effect on ourselves. And observe that our concern about society, the problem with the other. If we have the problem, there is a problem with the problem. What's the point that you get right now? No, I'm not saying that, sir. We have to. [...] Okay.

[25:03]

If you could just bring your comments to a close. who is listening, in your best Zen voice, what is it to practice with this? Okay.

[26:50]

And then pause. crystallize your own response into a couple of words, two or three or four. And then you can bow to your partner, if you would please, and turn and face to the back to the front.

[28:03]

Bodhidharma said, if you want to know the fish, watch the water. If you want to know the fish, watch the movement that's created by the fish. If you want to know the nature of mind or consciousness, watch the movement. Watch the way it comes into being. watch what it stirs up in response to experience. Of course, usually, the story is captivating. But this attending to hear, which includes taking responsibility, my responses are my responses. and study repeated engagement in the experience of the nature of mind.

[30:04]

Dugan Zenji said, We can study through body, we can study through mind. Actually, the way Kaz Tanahashi, the translator says, for the time being, let us say. He's not being absolute. This is one way to think about the study of practice. We can study the mind, we can study the body. In the study of mind, there's three characteristics. Remember when we talk about studying mind, we're not simply saying we're studying what we might call in Western parlance the neurotic mind, the mind that's just caught up in the issues and pains and hopes and desperations that evolve around me. as consciousness is less preoccupied in that way, it's a more varied and, I would say, expansive experience, which we've all had.

[31:36]

You know, those moments where we fall into stumas. the simple particularity of the moment resonates with its own authority, with its own being. This kind of mind. So Dogen Zenji says, three kinds of mind. Kaz Tanahashi in his translation says, consciousness, emotions, and intellect. Intellect. Consciousness, emotions, intellect. Now, the words, as far as I can figure right, Dogen used were chitta, pridaya, and vidra, Sanskrit terms.

[32:40]

And chitta, actually has a variety of meanings through its usage. The general one, often it's the general state of mind. Like in the Satipatthana, the third, the four foundations of mindfulness. The third foundation of mindfulness is the state of mind. Chitta is the word that's used. Chitta is the word that's used. our life is full of incidents, incidences, you know? Some powerful, some unexceptional, and with each there is a response. And some state of mind is brought into being.

[33:45]

to study, to notice, experience the engagement of the moment. So Dogen's energy says, this, looking at this, and then as I was saying, when there's a lot of preoccupation, in how it is and what it is, it stirs up emotions, perspectives, judgments. How dare she say that to me? I've never been so insulted. I will write a letter to somebody or other. we have responses.

[34:57]

Maybe they influence us for most of a lifetime. We hold on to that until we find someone else who has affronted us, and then we can replay this. Chitta. Chitta. There's a state, a disposition of consciousness. And then as that consciousness settles, it's like it opens. It becomes more capable of simply experiencing what it is. less contracted around its own content.

[36:00]

This is the nature of consciousness. And even using the discerning mind of saying, okay, well, tell someone how it was. Of course we can be enticed into repeating, being triggered into the prejudices and biases and preferences of our habituated consciousness. But the very process of noticing starts to illuminate. And then if we can have a turning phrase, and what is it to practice with that? You're not asking, do I like it or dislike it? Do I want more of it or less of it? Do I want to blame somebody or criticize myself for it? No. Not excluding those, but asking, what is it to practice with it?

[37:06]

And inviting in a relationship to citta that... is informative, is illuminating, is liberating. And in this fascicle, Dogen's energy says, and this is the way all the preceding, all the Buddhas of the past and the future practice. Then the second mind is Hridaya. Same as we say in the Hridaya Sutra, the Heart Sutra, the core. When there's presence, when there's awareness of phenomena, the experience

[38:19]

happens is the core of being. Not so easily apprehended with mind, and this is why we say study with body and mind, but sitting with the body. And Dogen states it a little, sitting with this lump of red flesh. But just to mean, body is a physicality. Body is a cluster of sensation. And in that sense, all phenomena, all physical being is in the same category.

[39:30]

And then so sometimes Dogen says, you know, walls, treedles, piles, pebbles. We're all physicality. But this way of attending to the heart, the core, And each of our arisings offers us this experience. Experience the emotion. Experience the state of mind. Experience thinking mind. So this coming at the core, attending to the core of consciousness. And as Rab was alluding to in his talk on Saturday, it's more fundamental with cognitive mind.

[40:41]

Neuroscience is discovering now that we act and then cognitive mind says, move your hand. some more essential or core state of being is already engaged. In different physical disciplines. Teach this. Act without mediating it with thought. tending to the core. And then the third one, vridya. Experienced. It's translated as intellect, but it's the wisdom of experience.

[41:50]

It's like this. We're always experiencing. But are we experiencing the experience in a way that's facilitating study, that's teaching us about being? My hope was that in offering you that dyad, You could hear yourself. This is my experience. And of course, we can quibble and say, well, this is your version of your experience. So be it. It is your version of your experience. But still, it brings forth an awareness. And this awareness teaches us. So when we say, the word intellect here sort of points us in a different direction.

[43:06]

It's a different kind of teaching. It's more like it teaches us the way of being that we are. As we attend to these experiences, we start to see not only the habit formations of our own emotions and thoughts, we start to see what it is to reference in terms of me. We start to see within our own individual consciousness what's... what's most significant, what's most prevalent in that regard. So these three kinds of mind.

[44:08]

And I would hope you would note that both the exercise, the dyad, and the fascicle are not seeing And here's the responses you should have. Here's who you should be. Here's who you should not be. It's saying the response you have is the nature of what is. And it's particular to your karmic rising and all the causes and conditions that coalesce to create that. Citta, general consciousness, the core consciousness, and this, what's learned?

[45:14]

We learn from experience. Or we don't. Which is a very interesting thing too. You hear a story about someone and you think, well, didn't they learn from the last time they did that and it turned out terrible? Well, maybe they got it as a cognitive idea, but something deeper. And these three come together. as we attend in this way with these three attributes, study the human condition. We learn how to learn.

[46:15]

We learn how to study. And Dogen Zenji emphasizes this as the key process of engaging the Buddha way. And we're out of time. You know, when I were discussing before the lecture that it was important to end on time. And I'm already five minutes late, so I apologize. Let me read part of Kazas. Well, I already apologize, so. Without practice, the Buddha way cannot be attained.

[47:18]

Without study, it remains remote. It's this study that help us. We can have this beautiful idea, oh yeah, practice is so fantastic, it's so sweet and wonderful and edifying. But how? How do we do it? How does it become engaged? And how do we engage? we learn, we study how to study. We learn how to learn. In the engaging, we learn how to engage. Someone asks you, and what was your response to that incident? And as you hear yourself say what your response is, often there's a learning. Okay, well, that's not quite it.

[48:19]

Hmm. Sometimes other phrase comes to mind. Sometimes the feeling, the words don't quite reach it. And the key is that in the learning process, much as our karmic life might desire a particular outcome, process of liberation simply says the karmic life you're living is the grind of practice. Not saying it's easy, not saying it's always pleasant, just saying it is the grind of practice. Okay, thank you. Thank you for listening to this podcast offered by the San Francisco Zen Center. Our Dharma Talks are offered free of charge, and this is made possible by the donations we receive.

[49:27]

Your financial support helps us to continue to offer the Dharma. For more information, please visit sfzc.org and click Giving. May we fully enjoy the Dharma.

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