This podcast is offered by the San Francisco Zen Center on the web at www.sfzc.org. Our public programs are made possible by donations from people like you. Last night, after the Firewatch, Actually, it was before Firewatch. It was after Zazen. I was in the cabin and I heard this strange sound. It almost sounded like singing or strange. And then in that little nook where the Sesa disk is, there began to be a very, very, very strong smell of skunk. And it was like coming up through the floorboards.

[01:02]

And then I went into the bathroom, and there was very loud noises in there. And I thought, I actually thought they were in the bathroom, like these skunks were going to come running out. But it was, I guess, under the house or under the cabin. And then the smell just, it was like... a chemical bomb, you know, that went off and just permeated the room, the rooms, the bathroom and the regular. And, yeah, so that was last night. And I don't know if there's anything to be done, anything to deter them from that, if there's a nest there or what. I didn't hear them this morning, but the smell is lingering in the room, and even with all the windows open and burning incense, and it's so strong.

[02:07]

It's amazing. The power of that, that evolutionary protective thing that skunks have, you know, So in working with, we talked yesterday about working with patients when there's things that are uncomfortable and irritating and annoying and that we don't like. And the deepening of our practice when we take up the practice of patients in relation to these things. Other things we can do is... you know, go sleep in the pine rooms or run away or not follow the schedule. There's all sorts of options.

[03:08]

But staying with our commitment, staying with our agreements, staying with the Sangha, and meeting each thing with as much grace as we can muster, But it doesn't take grace, necessarily. It's just, this is hard, and I'm willing. I'm willing. One thing I didn't mention yesterday about Shantideva's practice, who, as I said, talks about patience and goes the full extreme, not just insect bites and rashes, but he imagines the absolute... kind of worse things that can happen, and having patience in those situations, which was Shantideva's very zealous and strenuous practice.

[04:13]

And Shantideva also had the practice, and this is similar to Tonglen, or exchanging self for others, where by by the means of one's own suffering, we open to the suffering of everyone. So just as I'm suffering now, millions of people have suffered like this or more. And I remember them. I am connected with them. I'm with them in my own suffering. I remember others who have suffered and will suffer. So by means of our own suffering, we can actually open to the suffering of the world in a bodhisattvic way. And in some ways it gives meaning to our own suffering, but I don't think that's necessarily the purpose of that.

[05:20]

So it's not that we suffer in vain or something, but it's the reality that there is the truth of suffering. This is the First Noble Truth. There is suffering. The First Noble Truth is sometimes, many times, and colloquially mistranslated into life is suffering, but the translation is there is the truth of suffering. So by means of our own suffering and practicing with it, making an effort and remembering others, this connects us with all beings who are suffering. So this is another practice with these kinds of irritations and also pain. Some of the pain that we have in zazen is not minor, you know, it can be excruciating and also not harmful to us, but just because of our own reactions and tenseness and fighting it sometimes, it brings it to a boiling point.

[06:43]

And as many of you know, if you can relax there at that boiling point, there's a kind of... dropping away, you know, of what we thought was this substantial, solid, never-ending, feeling like it's never-ending pain, but we helped create that pain through our reactions to it. And all that practice is with the mind of kindness and compassion rather than competitiveness or endurance contests with our neighbors or the last sasheen, you know, endurance contests with ourselves. That is a distraction, really. So with kindness we allow the truth of suffering to arise

[07:52]

and we meet it. I wanted to bring up one of our ancestors, Tetsu Gikai Daayosho, who was very, you know, new Dogen, Ehei Dogen, Koonejo, Tetsu Gikai. And Tetsu Gikai became the abbot of Eheiji after Koonejo, after Dogen had died. And he was a very, very capable, very able administrator. I think he was like, temple administrator of some kind, maybe the director, equivalent to director.

[08:55]

Very, very well thought of, very accomplished. But Dogen did not give him Dharma transmission. And maybe you know this story about Tetsukikai. He and Konejo nursed Dogen through his last illness when he was only 53 years old. He was sick and I've never read what the illness was, but he finally left Eheiji and went to the home of a lay supporter in Kyoto. And I guess Konejo and Tetsukikai came with to help nurse him and be with him during his last days. So on Dogen's deathbed... He speaks to Tetsugikai very, very clearly, and I wanted to read that dialogue.

[09:59]

It's amazing that Tetsugikai, I think, wrote down this. So we have this account, you know, like someone's journal of what happened. So Dogen's dying, his disease recurred, and I was very alarmed and went to see him. This is Tetsugikai talking. And Dogen said, come close to me. And those of you who've done hospice work, sometimes the person, the energy is so low, you know, that they can barely speak, you know, it's very low. So Dogen says, come close to me. I approached his right side and he said, Dogen said, I believe that my current life is coming to an end with this sickness. In spite of everyone's care, I'm not recovering.

[11:02]

Don't be alarmed by this. Human life is limited and we should not be overwhelmed by illness. Even though there are 10 million things, that I have not clarified concerning the Buddha Dharma, still I have the joy of not having formed mistaken views and of having genuinely maintained correct faith in the true Dharma. The essentials of all these are not any different from what I have spoken of every day. So just to comment on that, here he is at his deathbed Dogen, the great genius, really, and spiritual leader, and wrote so many marvelous things, was so prolific. And he says, you know, concerning the Buddha Dharma, there's ten million things I have not yet clarified.

[12:07]

However, I have faith." And the , which we just chanted, that's the vows of the high priest, , , his vows. And the ending of that is, this is the true and simple color of the true mind of faith, of the true body of faith, having faith in the Buddha's teaching. Even though I haven't clarified 10 million things, still, I have the body and mind of faith. Faith, by the way, is the word shraddha, faith in Sanskrit, shraddha translated as faith. In this context, it's not faith in something else like faith in on high or faith in a creed, but it's connected.

[13:14]

Shraddha is connected with heart, not the word heart in English, but corazon and cuore. So from the Latin, there's a connection between faith and heart or wholeheartedness. So I always, when I think of faith, it's like wholeheartedness in taking up the teaching, the body and mind of wholeheartedness. So I genuinely maintain correct faith. And I talked about this every day. And then he says to Tetsugika, and he's probably whispering this, or low voice, this monastery is an excellent place. We may be attached to it, but we should live in accord with temporal and worldly conditions. In the Buddha Dharma, my place is an excellent place for practice. In the Buddha Dharma, any place is an excellent place for practice.

[14:18]

When the nation is peaceful, the monastery supports... I didn't bring my glasses, I'm sorry. The monastery supporters live in peace. When the supporters are peaceful, the monastery will certainly be at ease. That's like the will of Dharma and the will of nourishment forever turn in this temple. Then he says to Gike, you have lived here for many years and you have become a monastery leader. After I die, stay in the monastery, cooperate with the monks and laity and protect the Buddha Dharma. I have taught... If you go traveling, always return to this monastery. If you wish, you can stay in the hermitage.

[15:20]

And Tetsugikai is shedding tears. I wept and said in gratitude, I will not neglect in any way your instructions for both the monastery and myself. I will never disobey your wishes. Then Dogen, shedding tears and holding his palms together, said, I am deeply satisfied. For many years I have noticed that you are familiar with worldly matters and that within the Buddha Dharma you have a strong way-seeking mind. Everyone knows your deep intention, but you have not yet cultivated a grandmotherly heart. As you grow older, I am sure you will develop it. Restraining my tears, I thanked him. At that time, the head monk, Eijo, was also present and heard this conversation. I have not forgotten the admonishment that I did not have a grandmotherly heart.

[16:29]

However, I don't know why Dogen sent this. Some years earlier, when I had returned to Eiji and gone to see him, He had given me the same admonishment during a private discussion. So it was the second time I was told this. And then it goes on. And Dogen died sitting. They helped him to sit in full lotus position. And he died there in that house. So this Tetsu Gikai was told twice, you're a wonderful practitioner. You're a capable leader. You're familiar with the affairs of the world in the monastery, but you have not yet cultivated grandmotherly mind.

[17:31]

And it's like later he got it. But at this point, it's like, why is he, he keeps bringing this up. This is the second time. What is this grandmotherly mind? And I want to connect this now with the second chapter of the Lotus Sutra, this vignette of Tetsugikai in Dogen's last words, final instructions to him, cultivate the grandmotherly mind. which is the mind of compassion and the mind that treats each thing as Buddha, treats each action, each activity, each person, each object with compassion and kindness and care. Not because it's the Shingi and we're supposed to do it,

[18:34]

but from the understanding that each thing, myriad objects, partake of the Buddha body. And each thing is the whole thing. And this is called grandmotherly mind, where you make with grandmotherly mind, you practice this with each thing. So, going back now, when... about this second chapter of the Lotus Sutra. Tetsu Gikai was in one of the, you know, he was in the monastery and went to Dharma talks, and there was a Dharma talk that Dogen gave in which he said, quoted from the Lotus Sutra. Well, I'm going to... do other translators' quote of this part and then come to what Dogen says, because Dogen added to it.

[19:38]

And so in our Reeves translation that we've been reading, and this, we'll read it maybe even today, the quote is, the Buddha, the most honored, the Buddhas, the most honored people know nothing exists independently, and that Buddha seeds arise interdependently. This is why they teach the one vehicle. Things are part of the everlasting Dharma, and the character of the Dharma in the world endures forever. Having come to know this at the place of the way, leaders and teachers teach it, in skillful ways. That's the Reeves translation. Hurwitz's translation is, the Buddha, the most venerable of two-legged beings, knows that the dharmas are ever without a nature of their own.

[20:52]

By virtue of conditions is the Buddha's seed realized. For this reason they preach the one vehicle. the endurance of the dharmas, the secure position of the dharmas, is in the world everlasting, ever abiding. And Keto, which is the one I'm copying, the Buddhas, the honored ones, know that nothing has an independent existence. And that Buddha's seeds spring from a cause, so they reveal the one vehicle. All things abide in their fixed order. The world abides forever. So here's this Lotus Sutra, Chapter 2 teaching, a little bit later in our verse section that we'll be coming to, where the Buddha is saying,

[21:55]

this basic, basic teaching. There's nothing that exists in the world as a separate thing or independently or has independent existence. All things arise interdependently or codependently arise. And the Buddha's seeds arise interdependently, not by oneself. alone, but interdependently. Things are part of the everlasting dharma, or another way of saying this is, each thing abides in its dharma position. And we use that a lot, that particular phraseology of stay in your dharma position. The The Dharma position, Dharma, you know, has many meanings.

[23:04]

It's that which the Buddha taught, the Dharma, and then the Buddha taught what he realized. He realized Dharma and then taught Dharma. So it's his realization of the truth, sometimes translated as the law, and then his teaching based on that realization of Dharma, he taught Dharma. And it's also used for elements of existence, that all dharmas are without self, or all dharmas are empty, or all these separate, what were thought to be separate, existing, independently existing moments of reality. And lists were made of them, 75 dharmas, 100 dharmas. in the old wisdom school of more orthodox Buddhism, they were thought to be elements like little nuggets of reality that couldn't be reduced anymore.

[24:06]

And of course the new wisdom school turned that upside down with all dharmas are without self or are empty. All in the five skandhas are empty. So every dharma abides in its position momentarily. And each of us and each moment of each day and each breath has a Dharma position. It is codependently, it comes from a cause, codependently arising, vast causes and conditions. It arises interdependently and yet it arises and takes its Dharma position. And that Dharma position is suchness, is thusness, is the thus-come-one, the Tathagata, or Buddha.

[25:08]

So yesterday, you know, with the Hosu and, you know, the Hosu, that's it. That's it. There's nothing more than that. That's suchness. And that's the thus-come-one, that's the entirety right there. And it's unassailable. And each moment and each Dharma has a Dharma position, which is suchness, momentary. So all things abide in their fixed order or their Dharma position. Hence, the world abides forever. Each Dharma arises, takes its Dharma position, and stands in reality, the true reality of all dharmas.

[26:21]

So Tetsugikai was sitting in lecture, kind of like this. No, not like this at all, but with Dogen. But kind of like this, in lecture, in a Dharma talk. And Dogen says, All dharmas dwell in their Dharma positions. Forms in the world are always present. wild geese return to the north woods, and orioles appear in the early spring. Not having attained suchness, already suchness is attained. Already having attained suchness? How is it?" This is Dogen's Dharma talk, and at those words, Tetsu Gikai had a realization, his enlightenment opening at these words.

[27:31]

All dharmas dwell in their dharma position. Forms in the world are always present. And then Dogen takes that and then pulls, you know, just a regular old thing, wild geese. return to the Northwoods. And Orioles appear in the early spring. Not having attained suchness, already suchness is attained. Already having attained suchness, how is it? So this struck me, you know, Gikai, who later was, you know, Dogen brought up to a grandmotherly mind, which is one way of talking about caring for each thing and all the forms of the monastery and all the details of our life and our speech and with a compassionate heart.

[28:46]

this is what Tetsugikai still had more to open to or to really penetrate, I guess, and understand. But his, this, they called it his first enlightenment experience, was upon hearing about all things, all dharmas dwell in their own dharma position, and suchness, the suchness of each thing. And This phrasing, you know, before you have attained it, it's already attained. Like right now, before we've completely opened to the truth of our existence, the reality of our existence, if we want to attain suchness, we should practice suchness without delay. Each of us, right now, in our own Dharma position, is... Buddha, you know, is the Tathagata, is thus come one.

[29:54]

And this is true whether we know it or not, you know, whether we have realized it or not. I think that's this, whether you've attained it or not. And Suzuki Roshi also says, whether you know it or not, this is what's true. This is the truth of your life, whether you know it or not. image of the clock you know some of you know this from Suzuki Roshi you know this is true we are suchness and in our Dharma position we can't help it but be and when we don't understand it when we don't realize it it's like a clock that's running and functioning but it's not set to the right time you know you're at it, I suppose once a day maybe it's at the right time? No. If it's set to the wrong time, never.

[30:57]

If it's stopped, if the clock is stopped once or twice a day, it'd be the right time. But it's running. It's functioning. It's functioning as sort of like a clock ticking, going around, but it's not telling time. That's how he describes, I think this is Suzuki Roshi, not having attained suchness. Already suchness is attained. You already are a functioning clock. But how are we going to come into alignment so we can tell the right time and help beings, really, who want to know what time it is? And then already have attained suchness? How is it? So this open Tetsu Gikai opening to this, all dharmas dwell in their dharma position. Forms in the world are always present. One might think, and this is Dogan quoting the Lotus Sutra, you know, things are part of everlasting dharma.

[32:07]

And that Tetsu Gikai And me too. And I'm in my Dharma position interdependently with all beings as suchness. So after a pause in this Dharma talk, Ben Dogen said, in the third month of spring, fruits are full on the Bodhi tree. One night, the blossom opens and the world is fragrant. And just imagining Tetsu Gikai sitting in the Dharma talk, and I don't know if Dogen understood, but just, you know, the fruit on the Bodhi tree, I don't even know if Bodhi trees make fruit.

[33:12]

Vicus religiosa, does it make fruit? Must. Some kind of fruiting. But the fruit on the Bodhi tree, the tree of enlightenment, is ripe and in the night blossoms open, fragrance covers the earth. The world is fragrant. And there's Tetsugigai sitting there. I was just imagining hearing his teacher say that after this experience of taking his Dharma position and understanding, realizing, entering. Second chapter of the Lotus Sutra. So for us, in our practice, this... each of us taking our Dharma position, which is whatever.

[34:15]

We use that freely. What is your Dharma position? But it can't be denied. We each have our Dharma position. And to understand it and stand, this is being the boss of the world, standing in our Dharma position, unassailable, and interdependently with others. And our dharma position is the suchness of this moment. And each thing has its dharma position, you know? So with Grandmotherly Mind, we practice oryogi. you know, with neurotic fussiness and OCD-ness around all the stuff, but with the, the oryoki has its dharma position, and we have our dharma position, and each one is singing out suchness in the dance of our life, our interdependent life.

[35:32]

I wanted to mention something about Oriyoki. We do our bow, and we tie our knot, and then we do our last bow, and then we wait, we raise our bowls, we set them down, and then there's one last thing before the Oriyoki meal is over, which is after the clackers and bells, we put our bowls back in their position, back in their place, And you might notice if that's a quiet activity or not. I don't know if you've noticed, but that's kind of the last thing we do in our yoke is place our bowls back. Wow. Rather than the meal being over after the towels go on the bells. Still one more, one more practice. This talk is an encouragement always, hopefully, for myself to practice in this way and to, you know, this practice of permeating the consciousness, permeating the alaya, our eighth consciousness, with the teachings.

[37:11]

So we hear these, and the Buddha seeds arise interdependently. You know, Buddha seeds, if we think of in the alaya, in the storehouse consciousness, the bija, the seeds that we receive from hearing, reading, reflecting, all of our interactions. And how do we water the Buddha seeds? So these teachings of very simple, you know, on Dogen's deathbed he's bringing up this kind of care with each thing. And his Heiji, the whole monastery, was permeated with these kinds of practices. and our lives can be permeated as well.

[38:14]

Not, as I say, in a kind of dualistic way, but because this is our inheritance, you know, to take care of each thing. And many, many, I think, Zen stories turn on this this teaching that all dharmas abide in their dharma position. And this is suchness. This is the thus-come-one. So we have stories of Jew D, one finger, whenever asked a question, he just put out one finger. You know that dharma teacher? Jew D. And then his disciple, the way... we tend to do, you know, when he had seen this so much he thought he'd try it, you know. Somebody asked him a question, maybe he was giving a Dharma talk or something.

[39:18]

He put out his finger. And then Judy heard about it, and... Yeah, it's one of those stories where there goes his disciple's finger. It's like... And, of course, his disciple otherwise we wouldn't have heard about this story, was awakened deeply. But he was, you know, repeating, there was something there, he knew that there was something there, so he was gonna try it. And there's many stories like that. The peach blossoms, seeing the peach blossoms in spring, The pebble-hitting bamboo. These are the famous stories. This is dharmas abiding in their dharma position. And suchness covers the earth.

[40:25]

There's nothing outside of it. remember thinking, well, I hear, I see flowers blooming, I hear pebbles and stuff, I kick pebbles all the time, you know, what's, how come, what about me, you know? When is it my turn? We might think that way. And if we think that way, or have designs upon becoming a Buddha, if you go after it, you go the other way, right? If you I do. Get it? You're going somewhere else. When the sweeping fellow, the pebble hit the bamboo, he was just sweeping, just one with his activity. Completely occupying his dharma position as in lessness, in suchness.

[41:31]

He wasn't thinking, gee, I wonder if I might hear something and wake up. It's just sweeping. Doing one thing is mastering it. So all of these teachings that we've heard for, you know, since you walked in the door to Zen Center, do one thing, do that which is before you, these are all the compassionate, grandmotherly mind of our teachers trying to help us with all their might, you know? And I'm so grateful. And how do we requite their kindness? We just have to practice hard. There is nothing else to be done. day after our personal day, the 31st, which is celebrated in various places as Halloween, All Hallows Eve, or Sam Hain.

[43:05]

This is the time of year that we enact a ceremony of offering food to beings. And some of you have participated in the ceremony called Sajiki Ceremony. And tomorrow, is tomorrow the last day of our five-day Sashin? It is. So tomorrow I'm going to talk a little bit about that ceremony because we will perform it together. We will create it and perform it, I guess we perform the ceremonies, yeah, right after the day off. And so I wanted us to have a sense. Some of you know the origins of it, but it's an unusual ceremony, or it used to be.

[44:10]

Now we're more used to it because we chant some of the chants every four and nine days, every personal day, kind of alone. And it's coupled with a memorial service whereby not only are... So we feed the hungry ghosts of that one of the six realms. The hungry ghosts are fed as well as remembering all the beings who are suffering, you know, and... in states of woe. And that is always coupled with a memorial service and a chance to read the names of everyone who we have memorial services for the whole year. And each of us can add names to be read during that ceremony.

[45:14]

It doesn't have to be someone who's just died recently. It could be people in your family from long ago. I found out a couple years ago about my great, great, I think it's my great, great grandparents, who I didn't know that much about them. I found out that they had died during World War I of starvation, which I had never heard this, and I... So their names go into the Sajiki Ceremony listing. So it could be someone you know from your life who died in a difficult, painful way or too soon, or just remembering our loved ones. So those two ceremonies come together in Sajiki Ceremony.

[46:14]

So I'll talk about that tomorrow and on the... Personal day, you can submit names. We'll have a personal day and the 31st itself. The ceremony will be later. So I think I would like to stop there and for us to together. Thank you very much. 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. Your financial support helps us to continue to offer the Dharma. For more information, visit sfcc.org and click Giving.

[47:14]

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