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. So in his admonishments with the tanto, he says, when the assembly is sitting, sit together with them. As the assembly lies down, Lie down also. In activity and stillness at one with a community, throughout deaths and rebirths, do not separate from the monastery. Standing out has no benefit. Being different from others is not our conduct. Engaging the way is a practice enlightenment before the empty kalpa, so do not be concerned with your actualization. It is a koan before judgments, so do not wait for great realization. So as I read this, a couple of things struck me first was, I think I can do this.

[01:04]

Showing up and participating fully in practice events, communal events, I tend to thrive on that. And as part about not standing out, as a rather introverted Scandinavian, it's kind of in my nature. I've been doing this for most of my life. I can do this for a little longer, I think. And to not be concerned with my own realizations sounds like quite a relief as well. The second part that struck me was his emphasis on community, which was maybe not what I expected. So harmonizing with the community being a crucial part of the job. As the old text admonishes us to blend like milk and water, meaning they mix well together rather than oil and water which separate. So this is what I'd like to talk about tonight is community. How do we get along with each other and how do we work together?

[02:11]

And I do want to acknowledge the wealth of experience there is in the room right now in this practice and particularly with the Veterans Path retreat being here. So thank you all. very much becoming more practice in this realm than most of us. And may the Buddhist teachings have something to offer for you as well. So the Buddhist term used for community is Sangha, which is a Sanskrit term, and the literal translation of it is that which is struck together well, which I thought was very appropriate given the current work period and all the projects that are going on right now. And we all know that anything that has been assembled out of parts needs to be struck together well in order to last. And we're blessed right now to have a lot of people who are very talented in the arts of how to put parts together into functioning a stable whole in various different realms.

[03:25]

So just like this, I've been admiring this also because I keep going past it, like Bruce's work on the rocks up by the work circle, just like, just fitting things together, just right, and seeing how they, something appears that wasn't beyond an initial plan. It's just like it takes shape as it goes along. And so the Buddha was, interested just like how we put, you know, physical objects together appropriately for, you know, to create something that will last. He was really interested in how we put a bunch of individuals together to create a lasting and healthy community. And anyone who's ever let people end close to them probably know that, and I hope you have all, you know, this includes all of us, getting along with people closest to us is not an easy task at all.

[04:31]

Dostoevsky once wrote, one can love one's neighbors in the abstract or even at a distance, but at close quarters it is almost impossible. So what we can do, and this is a place where I feel that the Buddhist tradition has a lot to offer, Buddha and his followers developed many practices to make this kind of love possible. So I brought with me part of a success story from the Pali Canon, early Buddhist teachings, about three monks living together in the Kosinga Sala tree grove. This is from Vicky Bodhi's anthology of teachings on Buddha's teaching on social and communal harmony. It's just excellent. This goes on to say, On one occasion when the Venerables Anuruddha, Nandiya and Kimbila were living in the Goshingyasala tree wood, the Blessed One, the Buddha, went to visit them.

[05:44]

When they heard he had arrived, all three went to meet the Blessed One. One took his bowls and out a robe, one prepared his seat. and one set out water for washing the feet. Blessed One sat down on the seat made ready and washed his feet. And those three Venerable Ones paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down at one side. When they were seated, Blessed One said to them, I hope you are all keeping well, Anuruddha. I hope you are all comfortable and not having any trouble getting alms food. We are keeping well, Blessed One. We are comfortable and we are not having any trouble getting alms food. So, I appreciate the Buddha's first question is, are your physical, basic physical needs met? So there was a practice in ancient India of going for alms rounds, begging for food. That's a monastic practice. We don't do that here, but it struck me that work period is a little bit like this.

[06:55]

try to offer something and with some trust that if this is a benefit then people will come and will support us by their generosity, time and skills and labor. And so having assured that the monks were having their basic needs met, the Buddha goes on to say, addressing Anuruddha who was accustomed to his, actually, the most senior monk of the three. I hope, Anaruda, that you're all living in concord with mutual appreciation without disputing, bending like milk and water, viewing each other with kindly eyes. Sure, Bante. That's a title of respect. We're living in concord with mutual appreciation without disputing, bending like milk and water, viewing each other with kindly eyes. But Anuruddha, how do you live this?

[07:59]

This doesn't happen of its own. It really does. So what's your practice? With what intention are you living your life together? And he answers, Bante, as to that, I think it is a gain for me. It is a great gain for me that I'm living with such companionship. companions in the holy life. First thing is this practice of gratitude, to reflect on one's own good fortune. It's a deep-lying human tendency to tend to focus on the unpleasant, what we don't have, and lose sight of what we actually do have in our very surroundings right next by us. It's so easy to strain ourselves energetically by complaining either to ourselves or to others about the one, two or three things that are bugging us and lose sight of what's actually nourishing us.

[09:05]

So the practice of gratitude is a recommended Buddhist practice to counter this tendency. Yeah. And help us to not be such complainers, lift us up. It's also advisable to include in this practice our struggles, actually. Our places where this rub and tension are the places that are really fruitful for studying ourselves and our own conditioning. So there's space for transformation. right there, if we can include in our gratitude the places where, you know, not everything is all easy. So, as Sisigiroshi often said, we should be grateful for our problems, and I think this is part of what he meant.

[10:09]

So, in terms of community, can we include in our gratitude even the challenge that we're facing because of people that It's not as easy for us to get along with them as some of the other people we live with. Anurita continues, after having expressed his practice of gratitude, he says, I maintain bodily acts of loving kindness toward those venerable ones, both openly and privately. I maintain verbal acts of loving kindness toward them both openly and privately. And I maintain mental acts of loving-kindness toward them both openly and privately. So this practice of loving-kindness is a practice of wishing for the well-being of others. And this wish can be cultivated both physically, verbally, and mentally.

[11:19]

The bodily act of loving kindness can be helping somebody out directly, openly. Or a private one could be to clean the coffee-tea area so that others in the community can enjoy a clean coffee-tea area. Or emptying the compost when it's full can be an act of loving kindness. A verbal act could be expressing our wish for somebody's well-being either to them directly or to somebody else. And a mental act of loving-kindness might be to make the wish for others while being a meditation, which is something that we do. When we chant the Buddha's instructions of loving-kindness, I think every five days right now on our rotating chants. And the Buddha's teachings of loving-kindness are very well known. It's one of the most beloved Buddhist teachings, probably, of the Buddha.

[12:31]

And what's less known and what we don't chant is the context in which this teaching was given, which I find fascinating because it seems easy, like these are these three monks and they're living together and they're really sweet with each other. It seems like it's not so difficult to have feelings of loving kindness and expressing that in an ideal situation. And in our own personal life, it's never like that. But the context in which the Buddha gave the teachings was at the beginning of the rains retreat in India. So it was the practice that for the monsoon season, for the three months, that that lasted for monks would not be wandering around, which they did for the rest of the year. It was in part to care for the many little creatures to come out of the soil when it starts raining. Worms and such to not stample on them.

[13:36]

So they would stay put in one place and enter into an intensive retreat. And the story goes that 500 monks wandered into this forest where the lay community around them were... totally supportive and really happy to have them there. We were going to offer them food on their arms round and built them 500 huts for meditation. So they were going to spend the three months in there. And this forest was also the habitat for these devas, tree spirits, living in the trees. And they were initially very happy to have the monks there. moved out of the trees to make space for the monks. And after a few days, realized that they were not going to go away and they were kind of inconvenienced by this.

[14:38]

I felt some resentment and decided to scare them away. So they created scary sounds and also these horrendous odors. to try to get the monks out of the forest and the monks were terrified and it was manifesting as fever and nausea and also their concentration was shot, they could not. It's like, this is not a good place, let's go and talk to the Buddha and see if there's some other place where we can go meditate and have our retreat, this is impossible. And so they came to the Buddha letting him know. And he said, no, please go back to where you were. I'm sorry, I didn't prepare you enough. I didn't give you enough protection. And so he taught them the loving kindness meditation as a protection and sent them back to the forest.

[15:43]

And according to the story, they practiced loving kindness meditation towards these devas and everyone else. And the devas were had feelings of love and admiration for the monks growing in them. Instead of scaring the monks away, they started caring for them. And I found this really interesting because what it illustrated for me, I think, is if I'm having some difficulty with somebody in my community, They might have acted in a selfish or unkind way, so whatever my story is, maybe the story is true. And yet, I have some responsibility for my lack of peace of mind too, and I have not actually put on my protection of this practice of loving kindness.

[16:54]

It's, again, no easy task, but just reflecting on it, I can see how I have some responsibility for my peace of mind. It's very easy to point at somebody else and say they did this. And can I generate some genuine wish for their happiness and well-being? If I can, then it's going to support my peace of mind as well. So Anuruddha continues saying, why should I not set aside what I wish to do and do what they wish to do? Then I set aside what I wish to do and do what they wish to do. We're different in body, but one in mind. That is how, Bhante, we are living in concord with mutual appreciation, without disputing, blending like milk and water, viewing each other with kindly eyes.

[17:59]

So this comes out of the first two practices, but this setting aside self and to care for the others, to have some orientation away from what is good for me to what is good for we. We're different in body but one in mind. I read as a reminder that we all want to be happy and free from suffering. Can we get beyond the appearances of differences and actually notice that fundamentally we're wanting the same thing? So after the Buddha has ensured that monks are fed and clothed and that they're getting along with each other, he asks about their day-to-day lives. He says... Good, good, in response to what was shared before. I hope that you all abide diligent, ardent, and resolute.

[19:02]

Surely, Bante, we abide diligent, ardent, and resolute. But Anuruddha, how do you abide thus? Bante, as to that, whichever of us returns first from the village with almsfood, prepares the seats, sets out the water for drinking and for washing, and puts the refuse buckets in its place. Whichever one Whichever of us returns last eats any food left over if he wishes. Otherwise, he throws it away where there is no greenery or drops it into water where there is no life. He puts away the seats and the water for drinking and for washing. He puts away the refuse bucket after washing it and he sweeps out the refectory. Whoever notices that the pots of water for drinking, washing, or the latrine are low or empty takes care of them. If they're too heavy for him, he calls someone else by a signal of the hand, and they move it by joining hands. But because of this, they do not break out into speech.

[20:06]

But every five days, we sit together all night discussing the Dharma. This is how we buy diligent, ardent, and resolute. So I appreciate this organization of work, of how it's not like on Monday you do this and on Tuesday it's the next person's time and you know it's like let's have a schedule and a rotation but whoever sees you know comes first that's the job ever notices something you know needs to be refilled does that I think if you've done these other practices first these come naturally and as a system of its own it might be challenging And I was reflecting on our practice here at Tassajara, and I think we do some of this. When the umpan, the bell rings for a meal, whoever's close washes their hands and goes to the kitchen and brings the food over.

[21:11]

Or the time trip comes in, whoever's there helps to unload the food and goods that's coming in and bringing up the trash and recycling. It's not, well, I did it yesterday, so I don't need to, you know, it's your turn now. It's like whoever's there just takes on the job. And if something's too heavy, we ask for help. I appreciate how, like, in the sitra, what they're doing, work they're doing together is literally they're moving shit. The crucial component for this to function is not just this good will amongst each other, but also that we're paying attention. That if only one person notices what hasn't been done, it's not going to work. It's also important to consider what a task, what the impact may be on others.

[22:15]

Some people may not work for their body to lift something. that is heavy right now, so then we try to support them and do extra lifting those of us who can. Also, I was really moved as we were loading the vehicle with trash and recycling today for Mary Baker to take it all out to Jamesburg, out of the valley, and we're all loading it. somebody from the vet's retreat, I think it was Freddie, I'm not sure, I think it was you, said, well, who's going to help her unload all of this? Like, we're doing all this work here, and then she's going to be all alone on the other side of the mountain. I thought that was so sweet, and just, like, this model of the kind of sensitivity that we need to function as a sangha, as a community that's struck together well.

[23:19]

And I've heard similar stories from the crew heads of how you guys have been working here, have really been taking care of each other and your supervisors as well. I've been moved to hear that. So I wanted to end with having talked about loving-kindness just with a few of the lines in the middle of the loving-kindness meditation as we chant them and then open up for questions. May all beings be happy. May they be joyous and live in safety. All living beings, whether weak or strong, in high or middle or low realms of existence, small or great, visible or invisible, near or far, born or to be born, may all beings be happy. Thank you. I can't really see the clock. Does it say 25? Okay, so we have some time for questions or comments.

[24:24]

Thank you so much for your talk. A couple of years ago, I heard that a friend of mine started a gratitude text. And so I texted her one morning and said, I'd like to join it because I didn't like the way my mind was waking up in the morning. Can you all hear? Ever been here? No. I can really be allowed. So... A couple of years ago, a friend, I asked a friend if I could join a gratitude text. So every day, he texts back and forth three things that you're grateful for. And I found that it really helped how I started my day.

[25:38]

And then I invited some other friends to join it. And so now every day, I get three things that somebody's grateful for, and there's probably 10 people that do it. And then I said, I'm going into Tassajara, and so I won't be able to do it, but please continue. And when I go up and over the road, all of a sudden I get ping, [...] and it's just filled with ground food. That's a nice way to... Get off the mountain, yeah. Thank you. Yes, Chris. I just want to say, I was in the kitchen today and I was so moved by, I mean the work can be so discouraging.

[26:45]

It just felt like there was a really beautiful rhythm that everybody gathered into and everybody found their place. It's a great encouragement to remember in the midst of our discouragement that actually this is what human beings do when we make the choice that we want to help each other. Thank you. Were you going to speak? Chris? So I've noticed a lot of stories of the Buddha and the monks who became monks while he was still alive. And also a lot of Zen stories and monasteries too. So a lot of them start with like the monks quarreling about something or like there being some sort of thing and they just, you know, they go to the leader.

[27:47]

of their group with this problem and the leader has to sort of like, you know, give them some advice or some teaching. I guess my question is, is there any Buddhist teaching from the, you know, the many volumes or whatever, where just like everything's super peaceful and harmonious like all the time without any work? I think it's two chapters in this one on disputes, yeah. How to settle them. I think it's one on, yeah. Anyway, it exists. There's some teachings in there. So I know one of them is if there's actually two clusters of monastics arguing, then it's going to the trying to spot who's more reasonable in each group and trying to reason with them. And there's a certain protocol for that. that would have sent the monks back, I guess, protection.

[28:53]

That feels like kind of such a nice place to rest, you know, and to be, and there's something about that that's in the edge of my practice right now, and that really helps kind of gives a little quantum leap that can be seen as protection. talk about that a little bit, I don't know, it's like I open that up a little bit, how that works as protection. Yeah, I was thinking about it and I don't know how many of you know Stephen Hale, but he came to mind as somebody who's like, sorry? Stephen Hale, yeah, we were ordained together. Dharma brother, different teachers, but same ceremony. Anyway, he's somebody, and I know more people too, but he just came to mind.

[30:00]

He doesn't really get angry and resentful. He gets cranky, an old cranky man sometimes, occasionally. But also just has, I think just kind of naturally has that sort of loving kindness. So things that bother others don't bother. Don't bother him. He's got that protection. I was walking down the street of San Francisco with him once, and he was a painter painting a storefront, and he just turned around and just rushed against Stephen's pants. He did not get the least angry. He's like, he didn't mean to. It's fine, you know. So he wasn't going to get angry about it. I don't know. For some people, it's easy. you know, harder, but I think for me it's... I've been turning it as like, well, if this is protection, then that means, you know, I have some responsibility when my peace of mind has been... I'm thinking it's been disturbed by somebody else.

[31:05]

Just not, oh, you know, I wasn't so strong in my loving-kindness practice towards this person before, right? And now this is arising, so... Yeah, and can I, as the story of the Buddhist monks, you know, there already had been the conflict with the devas, and yet they went in after that with a loving kindness practice, and that transformed the situation. So it's never too late to put our protection on. Yeah, that's great. You know, taking the responsibility, using it as protection, and always returning, like you can always return to a sour situation. That's really helpful. Thank you so much. And the recommendation is that if there's a charge that we start love and kindness reflection often starts with ourselves, but sometimes in a Western culture where we are, it's sometimes really hard on ourselves.

[32:18]

I've heard like starting with a little puppy or something like that, you know, to have will wishes of that because we're so accustomed to beating ourselves up. Sometimes we start with, you know, maybe some little child that we just adore, you know, something very easy. And then we go to people that we don't have strong feelings in either way. And then we move to the more difficult ones. Yes. When you are open and vulnerable and practicing loving kindness, it can be very disarming. It creates that environment. And so in that way, it's like that word protection and disarming. Yeah. Yeah.

[33:19]

I recently moved down here from Green Ocean. attention to Lab Anderson, senior Dharma teacher there, was hammering on this thing, teaching during the winter, back when people come to us and they're upset or they're accusing us or whatever it is. That is a call for compassion. It's a call for help. They might look like they're really angry at us, but it's actually they're calling for our compassion. It's not so easy. It's very hard to remember in that moment. It brings up, you mentioned Red Anderson, many of you might be familiar with this, recalling of the story in Being Upright about this grand dragon in one of the southern states that was an awful mess of hatred and action and behavior. And this caregiving family, this caregiving group that happened to be Jewish, just reached out to him and remarkable results it had in bringing him

[34:24]

compassion that he never even knew that it had in him and went further even to really then they really explored his life and found out this hatred that he had been caught by his father and how he opened up and he ended up giving his whole legacy a grain of whatever his wealth was to the community that was actually serving him that he actually was so hateful toward quite remarkable they just they were unrelenting in their love Okay, one more question. I like the line from Mississippi University about we should be grateful for problems, but I would add seeming problems. Yeah, what we think are problems. Yeah, thank you. Thank you all very much. Thank you for listening to this podcast offered by the San Francisco Zen Center.

[35:27]

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 sfzc.org and click Giving.

[35:49]

@Transcribed_UNK
@Text_v005
@Score_90.25