This podcast is offered by the San Francisco Zen Center on the web at sfzc.org. Our public programs are made possible by donations from people like you. We just said that an unsurpassed, penetrating and perfect Dharma is rarely met with, even in a hundred years. thousand million eons. This underpassed dharma is something that when we meet, if we meet this dharma, what's the dharma? When we meet this truth, when we meet the truth, a truth that when we meet it, and become intimate with it we realize our correct understanding and then we are able to really live for the welfare of all beings we are able to live in a way that helps all living beings when we meet the true

[01:29]

the true teaching the true reality it's not just a truth that when we understand it we personally become free of suffering but we become free of any hindrance to practicing compassion with all beings. The way the calendar is set up this year...

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is such that the next two Sundays are Christmas and New Year's. So there will not be teachings offered in this room on those two days. So this is the last. This is the last one of the year. at the beginning of this year I expressed a commitment to study and focus to focus study on delusion for the year and that focus has that commitment has

[03:37]

not died in me. I have continued to try to pay attention and discuss with people delusion. In a way, I would say that the reason for this focus on delusion is that it is the understanding The reason for the focus on delusion is the understanding that delusion is the fundamental condition for the suffering of living beings. That the secondary condition for the suffering of sentient beings, living beings, is clinging. attachment to experience.

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But this attachment to our moment-by-moment experience, this tightening around or in relationship to our life, this tightening is based on delusion. So, it is recommended that we study and understand delusion because If we study and understand delusion deeply, we realize awakening to its nature, namely that it's delusion. And based on that understanding, clinging is abandoned and suffering is released. And beings are released from suffering. So the awakened ones are those who deeply understand delusion. And the suffering ones are the ones who are deluded but don't understand it.

[05:51]

Most of what the tradition... Most of what the tradition of awakening is addressing is living beings. Living beings are the main thing for the tradition and the teachings of awakening. And in particular, the suffering of living beings is the sort of main agenda. the founder of the tradition of awakening in India who we call Gautama Buddha or Shakyamuni Buddha the enlightened one of the Shakyaklan he upon giving his first traditionally what we consider to be his first teaching he gave a

[07:05]

He taught the middle way, and he taught the four noble truths. And the first noble truth is called the truth of suffering. And many people say that the truth of suffering is that life is suffering. But I... Don't think that it's a correct understanding of the truth of suffering, that life is suffering. What the Buddha said was that basically, or briefly, clinging to experience is suffering. Clinging to colors and smells and tastes. Clinging to pleasure and displeasure. and neutral sensation, clinging to ideas, clinging to beliefs, clinging to our experience.

[08:09]

That is the definition of suffering. He does say birth is suffering, death is suffering, old age is suffering, sickness is suffering, pleasure is suffering, pain is suffering. In other words, he says everything is suffering, but what he means is everything that we cling to is suffering. And he gave a teaching to his, he gave many teachings to his students, but one teaching he gave was that all phenomena that we tend to cling to, and that situation, all these phenomena are, because we're clinging to them, they're ill, they're painful, and they don't actually have a self, an independent existence, and also they're fleeting.

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So he gave these teachings and people received these teachings and were mindful of these teachings. And when they realized that phenomena had these characteristics, they were able to stop clinging to them and receive release from suffering. Then later the teaching came that all phenomena are just... thought constructions, that living beings live within their own minds. In their relationships with other people, they deal with their ideas of other people. In their relationships with other animals, they deal with their ideas of these animals. In relationships with trees and water and sky, they live within their mind. And that's how they relate to others.

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It's not that there's no others. It's just that we relate to them in terms of our ideas of them. And the idea, the way these ideas we have of each other appear to us is they appear as though they were external. When we see other humans or other plants or other animals, they appear in our mind in a deceptive way. They appear as though they're external. And sometimes we have the idea that these external beings are our good friends, and sometimes we have the idea that they're not our good friends. But the externality is the basic illusion.

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And that is the cause, the belief that externality is the fundamental condition for clinging. Because we think things are external, we actually think we can cling to them. And then we think we do cling to them. We can't stop ourselves once we think it's possible. So then we think we do. We really don't. We think we do, and therefore we suffer. I've been saying this over and over for a year. I've been trying to remember it myself, moment by moment, to try to remember that who I'm meeting is just my idea. Not who I'm meeting is just my idea, but all I see is my idea of you. And you look like you're separate from me. And I'm deluded.

[12:20]

To see it that way. And this delusion is very important for me to remember. Or that I'm subject to this delusion. is necessary in order to relieve suffering of all beings. Not just hearing the teaching and remember it, though. That's just the beginning. Hearing the teaching and then noticing that things don't look like that to me. So not only do I hear that teaching and try to remember it, which doesn't exactly put me down because it's a characteristic of all living beings have this kind of mind.

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But to remember the teaching and then notice that I can actually see, sometimes, if I look, I can actually see the cause of suffering in this world. I can actually see the illusion of separateness. I can see the cause of all stress and disharmony among humans and between humans and non-humans and between humans and the environment. And you can too, perhaps. And if you can, and if I can, then we can practice with the cause of suffering. a basic principle of practice is that if you immerse yourself totally and become intimate with the cause of suffering, the suffering will be relieved.

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But the way to transcendence of the cause of suffering is by total immersion in it. What do you call it? Like Safeway, you know, since we're neighbors, let's be friends. Right? Like the Godfather, keep your family close, but keep your enemies closer. And your enemy actually is, the enemy is separation. The illusion, the deceptive appearance of separation between ourselves and others, that is the cause of suffering. And if we become intimate with it, there will be what we call enlightenment. Understanding this delusion is the same as being intimate with it. So intimate with it that there's no separation. We see there isn't really any.

[15:41]

It's just totally insubstantial. But it appears. If you can't see it yet, if you do the practices which those who can see it perform, you will come to see it. So the conditions are the cause for the understanding of delusion. And the results of the understanding of delusion are the same practices. The way you relate to the cause of suffering in such a way that you understand it. is the same practice that you will do after you do understand it.

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And the way of relating to the cause of suffering, the way of relating to delusion, in such a way that you will understand it and become free of it, is basically by practicing compassion... and wisdom. Before you understand it, you don't have the wisdom. The wisdom arises upon understanding, but you can train in wisdom prior to realizing it. And the wisdom which understands delusion is the wisdom which is based on compassion. So we begin with compassion towards what? Towards the cause of suffering. We practice compassion towards the primary cause of suffering and we practice compassion towards the secondary cause of suffering.

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We practice compassion towards the illusion and the belief in the illusion of separateness and we practice compassion towards clinging to and grasping. And we practice compassion towards the suffering itself. Some people can't see the clinging and can't see the delusion that they believe in, but they can see the suffering. So we practice compassion towards all suffering, then towards all craving and clinging, that's the basis of it, and then finally you get to see the source The belief that you're separate from other beings. So the cause of enlightenment and the results are the same. After you have wisdom, I shouldn't say you have wisdom, after wisdom has arisen, you realize that this wisdom is not yours or anybody else's.

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It's just the way we are together. And then the same practices which supported the arising of wisdom will now be practiced. The same kindness to delusion and clinging and suffering will continue. It's just that after wisdom, after awakening, after understanding of delusion, the practices of compassion and wisdom are unhindered. and uninterrupted. Before we understand, we are practicing compassion some of the time with some of the people and some of the animals and some of the plants and some of the water, etc. And that's great that we do it some of the time with some of the people. And we practice it with some of our own feelings

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some of our own ideas, some of our own opinions, some of our own prejudices, some of our own judgments, some of the time. Which is great. All Buddhas practiced these modes of compassion some of the time with some of the people until they finally woke up and then they practiced it all of the time with all of the people and all of the plants and all of the animals. And this is what the great vehicle is heading towards, is a steady, unlimited practice of compassion. But again, until we are free of the belief in the illusion that other beings are separate, we're somewhat hindered in the wonderful practice of compassion. Or sometimes more than somewhat hindered.

[21:10]

Sometimes flat out not doing it. And even sometimes not wanting to. I do not want to be kind to that person. People sometimes say that. I actually do not want to be kind to that person. Or I actually don't want to be kind to myself. I'm not worthy of kindness. People think that. And they seem to mean it. day I put on these robes that you see me wearing over actually on top of there's lots of layers so there's layer upon layer upon layer of robes upon the body of a human being upon the skin and flesh and bones of a human being all these robes

[22:23]

And part of me would like to find something to wear that testified so that I'm not different. I shouldn't say not different, but not separate from the people who are not wearing these robes. And I thought, well, one nice thing about when the presidents and prime ministers and so on of the world get together is They all wear suits. All the men wear suits, and even the women wear kind of like suits. And it's kind of nice that they wear a uniform. So if we could make a uniform that everybody wore, I would wear that. But until then, I think I'm going to continue to wear this to remind me of the delusion of separateness.

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Because when I put this on, it's very easy to feel separate. And a lot of people don't want to put on these rubs because they start to notice that they feel separate. And they don't want to feel separate. We don't want to feel separate. It's not something we want. But all living beings do. They feel it. That's the kind of minds they have. Even Buddhas have a mind that can see separateness. It's just that they don't believe it. So in a way, wearing these robes is humiliating. I'm wearing something that brings this sense of separation to the fore and now that it's here I wish to be kind to it and the practice of kindness

[24:58]

It starts with the practice of giving. Practicing giving towards a delusion? Yes. What does that mean? Well, it could mean that when you see the delusion that you're separate from other beings, or that they're separate from you, that you let it be. You let that delusion be. You give that delusion to that delusion. Another way of saying it is that you welcome the delusion. Another way to say it is that you say thank you to the delusion. Thank you for coming. Thank you for showing yourself. Thank you. Thank you cause of all suffering for showing yourself. For coming out into the open. So I can practice compassion with you. And realize that even the delusion is not separate.

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The delusion of separateness is not delusion. It's not separate from my mind. Or this mind. This temple... And I wish everywhere... was this temple or the temple is a place, the temple of peace is a place for people to come and learn how to be kind. The temple is a place dedicated to help people learn to be compassionate. And wise.

[27:05]

But first, first, compassionate. First, it's a place for people to come to learn to give. Many people who come here are coming to learn to give. But some other people are coming here to learn something else. But even the people who are coming to learn to give often confess that they're coming to get learning to give. That they're really trying to get something for themselves. They're trying to get to be really good givers. Many people come here and say, I came to get compassion.

[28:08]

I came not just to receive it, but I came to get the ability to practice compassion. I came to get wisdom. I came to get enlightenment. I came to get approval of my enlightenment. Some people are already enlightened and they want to come and get some approval for it. Not too many of us come to the temple. come to the learning center thinking that we wish to go and give a gift by our coming. But we often do come to get something at the place that is primarily a place to learn to give. Fundraisers may be not unhappy to hear me say this, but as a spiritual practice, I encourage us not to give unless you really want to.

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Not to give something to get something. Not to give something So you think better of yourself. Not to give something so that other people will think better of you or like you, but give because you actually want to give and not give more than you actually really want to give and not give with any expectation of getting a reward. So some fundraisers might say, it's okay if they give expecting a reward. It's okay if they... Give expecting something. Just let him give first and then tell him later. So then some people might say to me, well, I see that you only give when you want to, but you're stingy. The amount of giving that you seem to want to do is very little.

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And then I have to accept that people think I'm stingy. And I have to accept that people think I'm stingy. Not have to. Not have to. I want to. I want to be kind to people thinking I'm stingy. If I think I'm stingy, I want to be kind to myself feeling stingy. And also I want to be kind to the feeling like my stinginess is separate from your generosity or your stinginess. I got my stinginess, you got your stinginess and they're separate. And I'm more stingy than you. And they're separate stinginesses. I want to be kind to that. I want to be generous towards my stinginess.

[31:26]

Working with stinginess is part of the practice of giving. Working with one's own or other people's dinginess is part of the practice of generosity. Or another way to put it, part of the practice of generosity is being generous towards an underdeveloped practice of generosity. Being generous towards low-grade generosity can develop does develop, generosity does develop generosity. When you really, really welcome a low level of generosity, the generosity grows. The low level of generosity is just the low level of generosity. But alongside of lots of low level generosity, a great generosity can grow.

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there can be great benefit brought to stinginess. One can also practice generosity towards abundant generosity. When great generosity comes, you can also practice generosity towards that. In other words... You can practice. We can practice. We can learn to practice generosity towards absolutely, completely, totally everything. We can learn it. We can learn to practice generosity with every experience, with pain, with pleasure, with delusion, and with enlightenment. fundamental thing to practice generosity towards, the most important, the most important thing to practice generosity towards is his delusion.

[33:42]

Practice generosity towards the sense that you're separate from others. And also practice generosity towards everything else. So this is a great time when many of us will be attempting or will be asked to attempt to practice generosity. For the next couple of weeks, the drum will be beating. Practice giving. And there it is. Practice giving, practice giving. And practice giving means welcome what you feel. Be generous towards what you feel when you're asked to give, when you get the list, the gift list. So a young man has sent my spouse and myself a list of things, and we're going through the list and negotiating.

[34:56]

How do you practice giving to the list? It's kind of an ongoing giving practice. How do you interact with that? And then the next practice, after giving, the next dimension of being kind to our experience, being kind to our experience so that we can finally realize our experience is not separate from us and not cling to our experience, is to be careful of it. So, for example... if you notice stinginess and practice generosity towards your own stinginess, or if you notice other people's stinginess and you practice generosity towards other people's stinginess, in other words, welcome stinginess of others and welcome stinginess of self, this starts to promote Understanding that the other stinginess and your stinginesses are not separate.

[36:03]

And then, to further enter into the non-separateness, for me to enter into the non-separateness of my stinginess and your stinginess, or my stinginess and your generosity, then I practice ethics. I practice justice. justice towards my stinginess, your generosity. In other words, I'm careful of it because stinginess is something to be careful of. If there's stinginess and you don't honor it and you don't respect it and you override it, if you give when the stinginess is saying, don't give it, If you don't honor that stinginess, then after you give, there will be revenge. Or there might be revenge. Not for sure. Because sometimes stinginess is going to wait for later when nobody's watching.

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So when you're practicing giving, if there's no stinginess apparent, be careful. If there's stinginess apparent, be careful. If there's generosity, be careful. Be vigilant. Don't trip up what you have been generous with. Don't trip upon or don't trip up on what you've let into your house. And then practice patience. Patience with what? Well, if you're stingy, patience with stinginess. Because stinginess is not very comfortable. The word miser and the word misery have the same root. I was 11, I watched a movie called Christmas Carol, and the central character is a person named Ebenezer Scrooge.

[38:13]

And then there was a school play, and And there were tryouts for the part of Ebenezer Scrooge. And most of the people who tried out for the part were boys. I don't remember any girls trying out for Ebenezer Scrooge. So the various boys tried out for it. And they read a few lines that Ebenezer was going to say. And maybe they hadn't seen the movie. And I had. So they read the lines, but when they read them, they did not sound stingy and miserly and nasty. But when I read them, I really sounded very selfish and cruel and got the part.

[39:25]

And having seen the movie and having an 11-year-old brain where you can... pretty much memorize everything you hear and can still remember the parts. I just ad-libbed. I just was a nasty, stingy guy and just responded to the situation appropriately. It worked out fine. I really can't Well, in the center of our room is this great statue of the enlightening being of perfect wisdom. Manjishri Bodhisattva, which means splendor and sweetness. Bodhisattva. And that Bodhisattva said in one scripture, I'm the foremost among the deluded.

[40:27]

I'm the foremost among the stingy. I do not dare to say, and I really don't think it's true, that I'm foremost in stinginess. I'm kind of, I would say, just sort of mediocre stingy. Maybe a little above average. But I'm not foremost in stingy. But I aspire when I'm stingy to be totally stingy. Because being totally stingy when you're stingy is being totally generous. And when you're totally generous with being totally stingy, totally immersed in stinginess, you can be totally generous. And then, since you're a stingy person and you're generous with it, now you can be careful of it.

[41:34]

You can be careful of the sickness that you're not the slightest bit separate from. And all the other stingy people you're not separate from. But also, when you're totally giving yourself to your stinginess whenever it appears, you're not separate from the totally generous beings. from the totally enlightened beings. There is no separation. But if we hesitate somewhat from being who we are, if we alienate ourselves from our own experience, which we do, unless we can plunge into that, we still feel separate from some beings. And then... practice is somewhat hindered. So there will be there may be lots of opportunities in the next few weeks for you to look at the practice of giving.

[42:58]

And in that practice to notice if you feel any separation from those who are giving to you and to those you are giving to, or between those who hesitate to give to you or who are stingy in giving to you, and any hesitation you have to give to others, or any hesitation you have towards others giving to others, get into the details of how you feel about the various gifts coming to and going from you, potentially or actually. And notice, is there any sense of separation between the giver, the receiver, and the gift? And usually there's some separation between giver and receiver and gift.

[44:08]

And to be kind to that sense of separation makes possible intimacy with that sense of separation and relief of that sense of separation and relief from the belief in it. I heard somebody say something about, how do you say? Oh, I think he said, speaking of this delusion of separation, he said, and be able to get out of the clouds of delusion, of separation. And I wrote above, get out. Get in. Because the sense of separation is... Sometimes it's sharp, but sometimes it's cloudy.

[45:17]

But I guess I am betting on getting into the clouds of separation. To work with the clouds of separation. to realize intimacy with the clouds of separation. The clouds of the delusion of the belief that we're separate. And if it's not clouds, if they're sharp walls, then the same. But actually, when it starts to get cloudy, it's a good sign that you're starting to get into the subtlety of it. And the thought arises in this situation, what about next year?

[46:21]

Is there anything else to study besides delusion? If I continue to study delusion, will anybody come and study it with me? Such an unattractive topic. If you say, well, let's study compassion, people say, oh, that sounds good. But what's the object of compassion? We don't usually practice compassion towards enlightenment. We don't usually practice compassion towards peace and bliss. I mean, I'm not against it. But we don't usually hear about... Be compassionate to the enlightened ones, except now that I said it, you did hear it.

[47:27]

Be compassionate to the enlightened ones and help them out by practicing compassion. Give them a hand by practicing compassion. But basically, all of our delusions are the objects of compassion. And again, many people tell me about various delusions. or they tell me about deluded people that aren't them. But again, a lot of times they tell them about a deluded person who they think is them, and they actually do not think that this deluded person who they think is them is somebody to be kind to. They actually think, well, no, this person is not worthy of This person is not worthy. Worthy means worth, you know, value. This person is of no value, who happens to be me, but also this unworthy person isn't worthy of compassion.

[48:31]

No matter how deluded we are and no matter how terrible the things we do based on that delusion, And we can do terrible things when we're deluded. All deluded suffering beings are objects of compassion. All of our deluded states, all of our fears, all of our negative judgments of ourselves and others are objects of compassion. That's what compassion works on. So maybe next year I won't mention delusion. I'll just talk about compassion and just mention that where it's applied. Which is basically, it's applied to all living beings.

[49:36]

Because all living beings need compassion in order to deal with delusion. And thereby... If they deal with it compassionately, they can help other living beings deal with it compassionately. More and more consistently. More and more energetically. More and more joyfully. More and more calmly. And finally, to practice compassion towards all living beings without any grasping. to teach them compassion and non-grasping. By example.

[50:43]

it has turned cold the mountains grow more vast and more blue the autumn waterfalls are louder I can hear the last cricket singing in the cold evening. I take my cane and go out for a walk.

[51:59]

the evening smoke hangs above the village I am happy I throw back my head and sing the willow song at the top of my lungs Thank you very much.

[53:26]

giving. May we fully enjoy the Dharma.

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