Thank you. ... [...]

[15:00]

Thank you for being here today and thank you for... Thank you for being here today and thank you for people who are joining online. First, I'd like to ask how many of you here today are practicing Zen maybe less than a year? Raise your hands. How about more than five years? More than 20 years? The fresh mind of new practitioners and the wisdom of the long practitioners makes the Sangha very vibrant and thriving.

[16:23]

Can you feel that energy in this room? Yes. Let me ask one more question. Do you have any family members think you are a little bit unusual? Yes, yes. Or your whole member practices Zen, so everyone is equally weird. So far, can you understand my English? It's hard to follow. Please let me know. And what about my jokes? If they don't make any sense, please pretend they are funny. My name is Temyo, and you can remember me as Ten Cats.

[17:32]

Ten Meow. Yes, this is very last. And my actual domain name is . This character, means scriptures or canon, C-A-N-O-N, canon. can also mean model or classic. And Mio means illuminate, light, or make something clear with the light. So my name, Tem Mio, means illuminating Dharma teachings, illuminating Dharma canon. I now work for Soto Zen Buddhism International Office.

[18:45]

And we make connections and bridging temples and practitioners across the world. I am also a resident practitioner here. And I feel nothing is more joyful than practicing together with Dharma friends that we share the aspiration to know the truth. And also this deep desire to benefit all beings. There is a story from old Buddhist scripture that Ananda, do you know Ananda?

[19:58]

Ananda is Buddha's cousin and also a very devoted attendee to Buddha. One day, Ananda said to Buddha that having good friends and good community, I think, is half of the holy life. Hearing that, Buddha answered back to Ananda that... Having good friends and having good community is not half the holy life. It is the whole of the holy life. Being part of the Sangha here and being here today with all of you, that reminded me of this story very deeply.

[21:06]

Today I like to share my personal story that how I become a Buddhist now and also things I learned from practicing in different countries. personal journey, I describe it the journey from zero to infinity. Zero means I started from depression and self-loss and now to the life guided by Buddhist principles in connection to all beings. grew up in Osaka.

[22:17]

Have any of you been to Osaka before? Yes? Yes? It's a big city and many concrete buildings, not so many green. My family lived in second floor over seven-story apartment. And between, below us, my family ran a liquor store selling alcohol. And in front of our apartment, there's a very big, big road. So there were cars, very noisy all through the day. So it was lives that little separated from nature, natural environment.

[23:22]

There were seven members of my family, my grandparents, and my parents, and two older sisters. It is this common today, living with grandparents, but traditionally, married woman is supposed to take care of the husband's parents and my mother take care of everyone in the family and also helped running the family business of running a liquor store so her days were incredibly busy but I really appreciate now what she offered to us. My grandparents survived World War II, and the trauma and the scars from that hardship, I think, shaped the family atmosphere.

[24:42]

My grandma used to repeat the story that there was a big air raid in Osaka and she lost everything during that time. And she told again and again she come back to where the house used to be. And there was only one iron pot was left. Because of that experience, my grandparents, especially my grandma, was so attached to money. So... The atmosphere of my family is more about survival and how to protect oneself and one's family from harsh environment.

[25:58]

It is not about living in connection, living, serving to all beings, but more survival about. My family is Buddhist. They follow funeral and memorial services for Buddhist traditions, but not particularly religious. They also belong to a pure sect of Buddhism and not a sort of Zen. So I think my family think me also a little bit weird. Maybe very unusual. I think many people start their spiritual path because of the hardship or dissatisfaction with life.

[27:09]

Maybe you... you maybe resonate with that. And I am not an exception. I was a very, very shy girl when I was little. And at kindergarten, I didn't have any friends. So I often prayed by myself. And my classmates were often teased on me and very hard on me. I hoped it was going to change entering elementary school, from kindergarten to elementary school, but I felt I was in the bottom of social hierarchy at school.

[28:11]

And at that time, I didn't know how strong the self-talk could be. So I kept talking to myself that something is wrong with me. And I... I'm not lovable, and all those negativity I put on myself. Entering junior high school and high school, I made some friends, but this feeling of negativity followed me, and I escaped into studying. Because if my grades were good, I didn't have to look into myself. And people around me think I'm doing okay.

[29:18]

So my grades were good, and I got into Tokyo University, which is one of the best universities in Tokyo. In Japan. Yeah, but depression followed me, so I really couldn't focus on my studying at all and couldn't find any purpose in life. And I don't know what to do with life. And hoping that having family would help to feel some meaning in life, I... got married to my ex-partner. And he was working in New York at that time, so I then moved to New York. He moved around many places, so I went to Gaza, Scotland, and he back to Boston, so I back to Boston.

[30:32]

And that time, I decided to go to graduate school because it's going to help to find a job. And when I applied for graduate school, I never imagined I met them practiced there. Sometimes life brings you what you need with a means that you never imagined. I was accepted University of Massachusetts, Amherst. I was studying biology. In Western Massachusetts area, I was so surprised. So many people practice meditation, martial arts, and meditation.

[31:37]

many Asian healing modalities as well. And gradually, I also joined. I practiced Aikido before in Japan. So I studied Aikido again. And my Aikido friends go sitting. So I joined them, go to Sessim. Actually, I didn't know the word Sessim before in Japan. And my friend told me, I am really Japanese, not knowing the word Sessim. And yeah. And at first, I wasn't good at sitting and It's not something you become good at it, but you probably know what I mean.

[32:39]

So I was not good at it, or I was not so fond of it either, but somehow I kept doing it. Also, there was a spiritual community nearby my graduate school, The name of the community is Sirius Community, S-I-R-U-S, the star of Sirius. And if I talk about this community, it's gonna be another talk. So just briefly, it's an eco village, it's a spiritual village, not especially Zen, but like general spirituality community. But the founder was, One was a very inspiring best teacher for me. And he passed away, but I'd like to quote from what he wrote.

[33:48]

My most important lesson from living in community all these years is this. Change... with lust that is truly sustainable comes from changing consciousness. A new paradigm for a sustainable future grows naturally from connection with our deep nature. Call it what you like. The Force, Buddha Nature, Christ, Jehovah, Allah. It makes no difference. Once someone has experienced the sacred in themselves,

[34:59]

And in all life, a commitment to harmony and sustainability follows. And the entire earth and all beings become the community we choose to serve wherever we are. This is a word that really touched my heart. So living in Western Massachusetts, practicing Zazen, also living in spiritual community and exposed to spiritual teachings, I realized that

[36:05]

My suffering came from the fundamental misunderstanding of the self. I was searching the self into what I accomplished or what I did, my relationship or what I have or possessions. Buddhism teaches that self is not a fixed entity, and it's ever-changing with all beings. So if you try to find self, if we try to find self, and if one just to try, to live for oneself.

[37:07]

It's distant to self-loss and depression. Do you know mathematical sign for infinity? Yeah? So if you try to find the self, just the self, it's like nothing, empty. But in reality, we are connected with all beings. And through that connection, what seems like zero expands into infinity. And that's what we truly are. When I opened my eyes to this interconnected being, I got an unexpected invitation from my friend that is to train as a Buddhist nun in Japan.

[38:28]

And let me explain a little bit more. So I had a friend at the graduate school. When I joined the laboratory, she immediately, or she go back to Japan very soon. So I don't know her very well. But when my professor is retiring, she comes back. And I find out she is a daughter of a temple family. And family is very dedicated to them. And if you know the name of Gien Inoue, that's one of the famous monks, but they are Inoue family. So she's a daughter of the temple family. And because I was living in a spiritual community that time, I asked her, could you do the sitting practice at the community I live?

[39:36]

And so she and her sister had a Zazen session at the community I lived. And so through that, our connection deepened. And after half a year, she asked me, oh, I'm going to train at the monastery and would you like to come with me? And I immediately said yes. because I was interested in becoming a monk, but I had no idea how to become a priest. So if I don't jump in this invitation, I may not have another chance. So I immediately say yes. So I go back to Japan, and her father ordained me, and I joined. the monastery training.

[40:37]

And it was probably not very common, but I met my teacher just two days before my ordination. And I had a little bit, five days or one week training, and then go to the monastery. So I don't know how to wear the kesa properly and how to enter the zendo and how to bow. My first monastery training was very, very challenging. But it was so beautiful too. I remember the first day I joined the morning chanting. I was somehow so moved. And I remember tears welled up by my eyes and I was in awe. And today I have a friend that we practiced together in the Koshoji Monastery.

[41:43]

He's visiting me now, and thank you for visiting me. And I practiced the Koshoji Monastery in Kyoto about a year, and then went to another monastery in Okayama, Toshhoji, which is a very international monastery. And I met many practitioners there from all over the world, from Europe, from US, from South America, and also some Asian countries too. And now I work for Soto Zen International Office, where I meet also at many practitioners from many countries.

[42:45]

And I also am a resident practitioner here at the San Francisco Zen Center. And ideally, grateful that being on this path together with many bodhisattvas. In the Lotus Sutra, there is a chapter that bodhisattva emerging from us. And in this chapter, The bodhisattva is emerging from the earth, and they all hold the Dharma together. That's the image I have in this room.

[44:06]

I like to share the things I learned practicing in different countries. Sometimes we understand ourselves or our own culture by experiencing another culture and another environment. As I explained before, I studied Zazen in the United States. Living in the United States really helped me to back to my beginner's mind. I was grown up in Japan. It's a Buddhist country. I actually went to Buddhist junior high school and high school. It's like a Catholic school here. But while I was in Japan, Buddhism teaching felt like my, you know, old grandma's teaching that you should be honest, you should be kind, and you should be good.

[45:38]

And that's really fundamentally true. When you grow up, you really appreciate that. I really appreciate that. But at that time, it feels like, yeah, it may be true, but it doesn't feel relevant to what I'm facing each day, every day to go through this life. But when I live in Western Massachusetts, many people... study Buddhist so I kind of oh maybe there's something I might misunderstand or I might missing so I start studying again and oh this is not just not just rules but it's more

[46:43]

You can really observe yourself to it, and you can really find the truth. So it feels, oh, this is really what we are living day by day. So it's very directly connected to my daily life. Also, reading in English really helped me. In Japan, there's a lot of books about Buddhism. Many of the books are very scholarly, and it's like Latin and Greek to me. But reading in English It's written in everyday language.

[47:49]

So I really could feel the connection. And it's very accessible. And that sparked my curiosity, wanting to study more. And I go back to Japan and practice in Japan. And I heard... Japanese culture, I still have mixed feelings. Some parts I really appreciate a lot and some parts difficult to swallow. But I try to see the Japanese Buddhism like a big, big old tree. The history is so long. It's so magnificent. And Buddhism teaching, it's a part of our cultural background.

[48:59]

So there are many daily expressions that come from Buddhism teaching. So it's a magnificent old history. But because of the long history, you may find some dead birds, some sick birds, some leaves are totally dead. And compared to that, United States, Europe, the Buddhism is still very, like a young tree, very... vibrant and fresh and everyone is excited like you cannot say which is better or good I think there's a good part in both sides and I learned so much living in the United States and I think there's how we can learn

[50:12]

each other. I also had a chance during my monastery training. I was able to practice three months in Europe in several temples in the Netherlands, in Germany and Switzerland and France. And I find that in all countries I visited, they say, oh, my country is terrible in this aspect and Japan is great or other countries are great in this aspect. And I find it, oh, it's kind of similar or same that I was saying that, oh, Japan is terrible in this way, whatever.

[51:17]

So, oh, it's kind of an universal thing. But what I find practicing at each temple was that the practicing together, like sitting together in the morning, eating together, cleaning together, cooking together. That joy of practicing together, that's always there. And I thought, I don't know what the ideal practice is, but practice. can trust the practice itself. Like, practicing is dedicating our mind and heart and body in the present moment.

[52:27]

And when you dedicate yourself to the present moment, there is no east or west, no lay people or ordained or non-male or female. There's just this wholehearted practice. And that's what I learned. So through my traveling, I learned a lot about myself. I learned a lot about what practice is but we don't have to it's not a requirement to go anywhere because practice is about returning home returning to your own deep nature our own being and

[53:39]

I find that practice itself is a way. I like to back to the Ananda's quote, that having good friends, good community, that supporting each other to grow, to be on this path, is the whole of the holy life. Really, thank you for being here. And may we continue to walk on this path together. Thank you.

[54:51]

We created it as true to what was going on and yet developed what was good around us for today. We needed it in the Son of God and the universe. After the end of our lives, we searched them to the reason which of Son of God is lost to hope. After the end of our lives, we went to the end of our lives. After the end of our lives, I have to look at it and [...] look at it Good morning, everyone.

[57:13]

My name's Kevin. I'm the Eno here at City Center, the head of the Zenda. A few announcements. Tenmyo will be available for Q&A in the dining hall immediately after this. So if you would like to ask Tenmyo any questions or hear more of her way-seeking mind or anything else, please head down to the dining hall where you can spend some time with her. As always, we're delighted to have you here with us. You're welcome to come for all that we do. morning and evening zazen, dharma talks, classes, a practice period coming up. Your presence is very important to us, and we're very grateful to have you here. Please also consider supporting Zen Center with your donations as well as your presence. Memberships help sustain us in so many ways here at City Center, at Green Gulch, Tassajara, and our online community. There is a donation box right outside near the... entrance to the Welcome Center with QR codes where you can donate, or you can go online and also donate or become a member that way.

[58:14]

We usually have Dharma Talks on Wednesday evening, but this coming Wednesday there will be no Dharma Talk, but instead we'll have an Inclusion and Belonging Study Session initiated by the City Center Inclusion and Belonging Committee. This session offers a thoughtful introduction to autism. These gatherings are designed to build a shared conceptual foundation around themes of belonging and inclusion. It will be next Wednesday at 7.30. The fall practice period starts very soon, October 1st. The Heart of the Zen Way, led by senior Dharma teacher Paul Heller. It's available in person or online. A little description of the fall practice period being present. And experiencing what's happening is the essence of Zen practice and requires no special abilities. Our life blossoms as we learn to meet what's being experienced in each moment. Sustaining presence is the heart of the Zen way.

[59:18]

So if you're interested in taking part in the fall practice period, you can go to our website, sfcc.org, and sign up. Tonight, there will be a sound bath in here. I will be playing these bowls and about 15 more. And in this area, Karen Stackpole will be playing anywhere from 5 to 30 gongs, maybe even more than that. I'm not sure how many she's bringing. So it'll be to welcome in the Autumn Equinox. Tickets are still available. You can go to the website or just come tonight, and there's still some space left, 7.30. Three weeks from today, we have another performance, Beauty of Japan. There are flyers outside on the table. where we have the group Kohaku, which is based in Sacramento, two women, Sawako and Rieko, and a special guest, Yukiko Matsuyama, who is a Grammy Award-winning, Grammy Award-nominated, Koto musician.

[60:19]

So she'll be joining that also. So it'll be traditional Japanese dance, temple shrine dances, Koto, taiko drumming, and should be a very beautiful performance. It'll also be here in the Buddha Hall. And that's available on the website as well. And that's on October 11th. We're grateful to Urban Gate Sangha. They're the volunteers that come in on Saturday morning to help us with the soundscape for Zazen and the Dharma Talk. So we have David here to this morning. And Benjamin went to help with tea and cookies. And Tim, the Tonto here, the head of practice. So if you're interested in helping out with Urban Gate, we would love to have you. Please talk to any of the people I just mentioned. Is there anybody else from Urban Gate that I missed? Richard. Richard also is a volunteer with Urban Gate. So it's not a weekly commitment. You can come whenever it's good for you. And then after the Dharma talk, there's a weekly study session and a light lunch.

[61:21]

So it's really a full morning of Dharma practice. So if you're interested, please talk to one of us. Tea and cookies are now available in the hallway, in the lobby. You can get them and then go to the dining hall, or you can sit outside, talk to Tenmeo in the dining hall. And finally, if you're able, please help us put the Zendo back together. If you have a Zafu, please bring it back to the racks, the shelves. If you have a chair, I would say those chairs in that corner and these chairs over this corner, you could leave those here in case we need them tonight. The chairs that are along the front of the tatami, you could bring those back to the dining hall. So thank you so much for coming, and have a beautiful weekend. Thank you. Also, feel free to come up and play a singing ball if you like. Well, I didn't stop.

[62:37]

And I didn't see. So now I have to see. What can I do to play football? Yeah. We're going to play a second ball. That was me, I think. Okay, thank you. Thank [...] you. I mean, he shook a bit the wrong people off.

[63:53]

It's fine. [...] Yeah, we're going to stop and work.

[64:05]

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