This podcast is offered by San Francisco Zen Center on the web at sfcc.org. Our public programs are made possible by donations from people like you. Well, good morning, everyone. It's a delight and joy to be with all of you here today on this sunny day. And you're heartily welcomed, whether or not you are online in the virtual realm or listening to this after the fact, or here in Unity Church, which is our, one of our floating zendos. Is there a lot of echo? Yeah. Okay. Make sure I'm not making a mistake with the headset. Um, Yeah, our floating Zendo. I'm having a little bit of flashbacks from when I was a child, and I went to Mennonite and Brethren churches, and you know, except we didn't have bands. This was Robulton, you know, in the Mennonite churches of my old days.

[01:03]

And also in the Brethren church, there would be a baptismal place back here, you know, a big pool where people would get baptized. And actually, and they draw the curtain and you could see it, but We know for a fact that behind here there's a piano, you know, the secret trap door to pull out the piano. So I wish I played piano then. Maybe we could do that. Anyhow, it's a joy to be able to practice wherever we are in every moment, taking the opportunity to come together in this way and explore the Dharma and our lives and the truth of our authentic being together. So for anyone who may not know me, my name is Tenzin David Zimmerman. And I live at San Francisco Zen Center, just up the street at City Center. And I currently serve as the, what am I? Central abbot of Zen Center for this time. So earlier this month, I was at Tassajara for two weeks. I had the wonderful opportunity to be able to lead a Sangha week, as well as a Zen and yoga retreats.

[02:09]

And it was beautiful to be back in the valley, in the Montana wilderness. For anyone who may not know, it's our monastery. It's about nine miles, you could say, east of Big Sur, directly, in the wonderful wilderness there. And it's great to be there, although the second week I was there, it was in the hundreds. for a number of days in a row, so it was a little toasty, which is what I'm actually feeling right now between these hot robes and the lights. I'm feeling like it's about 110 in here. In any case, the study group that I was with during the Arasanga week, we studied a beautiful text-inspiring essay by Dogen Zenji called Bodhisatta Shishobo, or the Bodhisattva's Four Embracing Actions. And it was wonderful to take the time to really dive into that particular text with the group. And I thought maybe for today, what I'd like to do is share this inspiring and encouraging text with you and see whether or not it might nourish and inform your own practice in some way.

[03:20]

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Dogen, he is or was a 13th century Japanese Buddhist monk. And he's considered the founder of this particular school of Zen, Soto Zen, in which the Zen Center belongs. And he wrote his fascicle Bodhisatta Shishobo in 1243, about 10 years before he died. And it appears in his renowned collection of Dharma essays called the Shobo Genzo. And bodhisatta is a Japanese form of a Sanskrit word, bodhisattva, which is a being who is about to awaken and free all beings from suffering. So in the Mahayana view, this is our aspiration. We're all aspiring to be bodhisattvas in some way. And in terms of the title of the text, shishobo, shi means for...

[04:22]

And show means embracing or unifying or integrative. And then bow means way or method. So technically then, Dogen's essay, the title is the Bodhisattva's Four Ways of Embracing or the Bodhisattva's Four Ways of Unifying. And what is the Bodhisattva embracing? What are they unifying? All living beings. embracing all beings together, unifying all beings through their particular activities. So Bodhisattva Shishobo is about the four central practices of being a Bodhisattva, according to Dogen, which are giving, kind speech, beneficial action, and identity action. And I'll dive a little bit into each of those today. And the title can also be translated in a number of other ways. The four elements of a bodhisattva's social relations, bodhisattva's four methods of guidance, the bodhisattva's foundation for social unity, means of drawing social beings into the dharma,

[05:38]

and four integrative methods of social relations. So you can see there's quite a number of different translations, so all different kind of facets of what it is that is being enunciated here in terms of the relational aspect of these practices. And these four methods are actually not new to Dogen. In fact, they are found in a number of various Mahayana texts, such as the Lotus Sutra, as well as in the Theravadan Pali Canon, so the oldest written text that we have. In that particular Canon, the Anguttara Sutta, for example, the Buddha speaks of the practices of giving, endearing speech, beneficial conduct, and impartiality. And the Buddha says these are the linchpin to forming and sustaining favorable relationships. So the emphasis here is on relationship.

[06:41]

And the Pali word for these four methods is sangraha vastu. And even in that meaning, it means inclusion, bringing together, and holding together. So these bonds of fellowship, as the Buddha called them, present a non-selfish way of being in the world, of guiding us to behave with care, with a mutual regard, with cooperation with each other, in order to promote not only personal well-being, but also communal well-being and social harmony. So these are harmonizing activities that a bodhisattva will take up. And they're also, as you may have heard from one of the previous titles, they're also regarded as means for leading others to the Dharma through actions and speech. So others see a bodhisattva acting in these ways and are inspired to also practice the Dharma because of that illustration.

[07:49]

And so by embracing living beings in these ways, right, in these four ways, what happens is we deepen our sense of interconnectedness, right? And also our understanding of oneness, you know, this one life that we are together manifesting and flourishing. And in the process also, we transform our lives self-centered patterns of thinking. I don't know if anyone has those. I certainly do. Occasionally they arise. And also heal from a sense of separation. And also address what I'll talk a little bit later, the three poisons of greed, hate, and delusion. And so the Encouragement is by taking up these four practices, we're able to heal and transform not only ourselves but our world. So that's why they're encouraged. Now, I'm not going to cover in depth everything that Dogen wrote on these four methods.

[08:54]

We could do a whole week-long study of them, of course. And what I want to do is just highlight a few of the things he says and kind of his approach to elucidating them and then hopefully with some way that will inspire you to explore these further. So... Dogen begins by simply naming the four bodhisattva actions or methods of guidance. Again, they are giving, in his terms, giving, kind speech, beneficial action, and identity action. And then after the first sentence, he goes immediately into the first one, which is giving. It's also sometimes translated as offering or generosity. And here are the opening lines of the first section. Dogen says, giving means non-greed. Non-greed means not to covet. Not to covet means not to curry favor. Even if you govern the four continents, you should always convey the correct teaching with non-greed.

[10:01]

So while Buddhist practices are very vast and very profound, one of the key practices, especially at the beginning of the path, is that of generosity, that of giving. And for those of you who have maybe a little bit of familiarity with Buddhism, you might recall that giving, or dhana, is the first of the six paramitas, or the perfections, and includes all the other perfections, right? And so giving is considered an antidote to stinginess. And it's also one of the methods for undoing attachments. And especially the attachment, the most voracious attachment of them all, is to a sense of a self, a separate self. So while a bodhisattva can traditionally express the perfection of giving in myriad ways, traditionally there are said to be three types of giving.

[11:07]

And they are material giving, so giving objects, you know, the giving of the Dharma, meaning the giving of the teachings or maybe even a place to practice together. And then the giving of fearlessness or unwavering courage. So those are the three traditional expressions of giving. Now, it's very interesting. Dogen starts off by defining giving here with, you could say, a negative. He says giving is non-greed. Giving is non-greed. This non-greed in another text has been translated as non-craving. So if you think about this non-greed, non-craving, how is that a foundation for giving? And in other words, the first thing we can offer is our lack. Our lack of craving. And this makes sense from a Buddhist point of view, if you recall, that all the ways that we cause harm arise from, again, this idea of the three poisons.

[12:15]

Greed, hate, and delusion. Attachments, aversion, and confusion in some way. And so we... we're endeavoring in our practice to take up these practices of non-harming, right? And to be able to liberate ourselves from these poisons and become aware when they're present in our actions, in our body and mind, and then relate to others in a way that is not infused by these three poisons. And so giving here begins with an act of renunciation, or you could say a letting go. It's a letting go of greed. It's a letting go of craving. It's a letting go of attachment in some fashion. Again, this isn't so much about letting go of material objects. In some ways, that's kind of easy. But again, it focuses primarily on letting go of craving or the feeling of craving, the feeling of attachment in some way, which is the foundation for any expression of greed.

[13:22]

So this is giving up craving for... objects, attachment to other people, attachment to certain ideas, attachment to certain experiences, and again, particularly to our attachment to our egoic self, which is the most insidious of these attachments. So giving, then, according to Dogen, it's not a transactional activity. It's not about there being a giver, a receiver, and a gift, but rather it's pointing to our fundamental non-dual nature. So there is no separate thing that is receiving, being given. There's no action in there that is reinforcing a sense of separation in some way. So then Dogen goes on to name two versions of craving. These are meant to manifest how greed manifests in our life.

[14:24]

And he says through coveting and through curing favor. And greed is fundamentally craving for more than we currently have. You know, if you ever look inside and when that, you know, craving comes up, I need something, something's missing, right? We kind of have this sense in our whole body mind. I crave something. I need something. Something's not here that I think I need, right? And, uh, And often it's craving something more than we actually need in order to be happy. So if we study our tendencies towards greed, we might see the ways that we take various actions to fulfill our greed. You could say through mindless shopping. Anyone fall into that? It's really terrible, too, because now the internet and Amazon makes it so easy just to go online and do it without really thinking about it. And then accumulating kind of stuff, accumulating status, you know, and even, in many cases, manipulating others in order to get what we want.

[15:33]

You know, the way that greed kind of colors our mind in a negative way to use others and wholesome. So the word covet suggests an inordinate desire or longing for something that belongs to others that we don't yet have. And think about all the things that you might covet and that you might wish, particularly that someone else has. And so to covet and be greedy are essentially the same thing in English. They have a very similarity. And currying favor... points to a manipulative use of other people for our own gain. Oftentimes we do this through some form of flattery or some kind of manipulative language to kind of shore up their ego or get them to look upon us favorably. And so even if we have great power and influence and resources, as Dogen says, even if we rule the four continents, in order to convey the authentic path of a bodhisattva,

[16:35]

living for the benefit of all beings, we nevertheless need to let go of greed and greed-centered actions and refrain from seeking contentment or satisfaction outside of ourselves. So the invitation is, where within you is there satisfaction already? What is it that's unchanging, that's always present, that is profoundly satisfying, a profound sense of peace and contentment in which nothing is missing? Dogen continues his exposition, saying that giving also means to give away unneeded belongings to someone you don't know, to offer flowers blooming on a distant mountain to the Tathagara, or again, to offer treasures you had in your former life to sentient beings. Whether it is of teaching or of material, each gift has its value and is worth giving. Even if the gift is not your own, there is no reason to keep from giving.

[17:39]

The question is not whether the gift is valuable, but whether there is merit. So while we might typically think of giving as some kind of a transfer of ownership or control of something from one person to another, And in the process, engaging in some form of a sacrifice or some benefit, like I'm giving to you in exchange for something in return, a favor, love, or some form of reciprocity in our relationship. Dogen's here is suggesting an approach to giving in which there is no real exchange. There's no sacrifice. And there's also no merit. Right? There's no gain from giving in a certain sense here is what he's pointing to. And he even goes so far as to suggest giving freely what is not yours.

[18:39]

Such as the flowers blooming on a distant mountain. How do you give flowers blooming on a distant mountain? They're not yours in our conventional idea. And what would that look like? And then Dogen says that even if the gift is not your own, There is no reason to keep from giving. That brings up some questions. Can I give your cell phone to someone else? What does that look like? I think what Dogen is proposing here is that each gift has a singular value already. But it's not a value based on a matter of ownership, but merely existing in its own right. And furthermore, given that we are not separate, but profoundly intimate in our interconnectedness, everything is thus already given to us freely from a Dharma perspective.

[19:42]

There is no separation. There is no separateness. So the whole universe is given to you right here, right now. And if you just settle and open to that, you actually can experience that. that profound generosity of the entire universe just giving you life itself in this very moment. And then further on, Dogen writes, when treasure is left just as treasure, treasure becomes giving. You give yourself to yourself and others to others. And then later he reminds us that to give to yourself is a part of giving. Now... This means that we can't leave ourselves out of this embracing action. In my mind, this points to a kind of radical act of generosity to allow yourself to be yourself. And to allow others to be themselves. To allow others to be completely who they are, not trying to make them be someone else or...

[20:52]

even making yourself want to be someone else. But just really accept this being, just as they are, and all our beautiful messiness. And this is hard for us to do. I mean, it's hard for me. I don't know about you all. Do you guys have any trouble with that? Yeah, a little bit? So it is hard to let others be them, because oftentimes they're really irritating. And it's even harder to let me be myself, because I'm pretty irritating to myself at times. Right? So how do we just offer ourselves up, allow ourselves to be ourselves and others to be others? And at the same time, there's a space for cultivating and opening even further to who we already are. So Suzuki Roshi reminds us, each of you is perfect the way you are, and you can use a little improvement. You probably have heard that a few times, right? Each of you is perfect the way you are, and you can use a little improvement. So there's this giving of unconditional acceptance and there's the giving of the room to grow, to change, to further realize who you are and who each of us truly is.

[22:00]

So that spaciousness of giving. And this receiving and giving of ourselves unconditionally is also what's happening in Zazen. And if you've had that experience, in Zazen we're simply accepting and embracing the whole of our experience, whatever it might be, both the things that are pleasant and unpleasant, everything that arises, simply opening to it and noticing as it has, it's a gift from the universe in some way, something for us to recognize, to receive, and to let go of, right? And so... In Zazen, cultivating this capacity to accept ourselves, to accept our experiences, and in the process also accept others and how they are, right? And this is how we cultivate this wholehearted beingness. Give ourselves wholeheartedly to ourselves, give ourselves wholeheartedly when we are present with others, give ourselves wholeheartedly to any activity that we are engaged in from the mind of non-duality, from the mind of non-separation.

[23:06]

So Dogen ends his section on giving by saying, mind is beyond measure. Things given are beyond measure. And yet, in giving, mind transforms the gift, and the gift transforms the mind. So in other words, all giving is beyond measure, in part because there is no separateness that can be given. And just as the true mind of Buddha is beyond measure, vast, boundless, luminous, and there's no end to the mind of Buddha. So through the bodhisattva activity of giving, the mind is transformed, Dogen says. The mind is transformed and it's liberated. And the gift, whatever that gift is, is also transformed and liberated. And in fact, all being is transformed and liberated through the selfless activity of giving. So that's Dogen's point on that. He has much more to say about giving a course that's actually the longest section in his fascicle.

[24:22]

But I'd like to move on to the second Bodhisattva in Basingashkin, which is kind speech. And the Japanese word that Dogen uses is aigo, which also could be translated as loving or affectionate, so I. Words go, and so sometimes I've seen it translated as loving speech. So kind speech or loving speech. And Dogen begins by saying, kind speech or loving speech means that when you meet sentient beings, you arouse the heart of compassion and offer words of loving care. It is contrary to cruel or violent speech. And another translation of this last line is, it is the absence of harsh speech. And as well as, we should not use any violent or harmful words. Right? So the first thing that Dogen is instructing about the practicing kind speech is that we must first set our mind on being kind.

[25:24]

He says kind speech means that in looking upon living beings, we should first arouse a mind of kindness and love and should utter caring, kind words. Now this brings to me a stanza from the Dhammapada which goes like this. Mind is a forerunner of all actions. All deeds are led by mind, created by mind. If one speaks or acts with a corrupt mind, suffering follows. If one speaks or acts with a serene mind, happiness follows. So you can see how that's echoed there. And then later on, Dogen writes, Know that kind speech arises from kind heart, and kind heart from the seed of a compassionate heart. So this, again, is the crucial first step. First, to connect and cultivate our own innate capacity for kindness and compassion when speaking. To not open our mouths before we've turned inward and connected to that. And then, when we have such a mind of kindness, we view others worthy of a beneficial, benevolent acknowledgement and respect.

[26:35]

And we speak to them with the same care and affection that we would like to be addressed with. So in Buddhism, kind speech is a subset of right speech. Right speech is one of the facets of the Eightfold Noble Path. And also three of the ten prohibitory precepts have also to do with speech. Counseling us to refrain from speech that's harmful or creates division in any way. And so as a way of creating beneficial conditions for speech, the happiness of others, the Buddha likewise suggested that before we speak, we should not only choose kind and caring words, but we should consider whether our words are true, useful, well-chosen, and timely. So are they true? Are they useful? Do they really need to be said, right? Well-chosen, have you crafted what you said with care?

[27:38]

And are they timely? Is now the time to say it? And if any one of these qualifiers isn't present, then it might behoove us from speaking at all, right? To refrain from speaking. And sometimes, even silence is a form of kind speech. So Dogen advises further on, it is kind speech to speak to sending beings as you would to a baby. Wouldn't that be sweet if we all spoke to each other with the kindness, the tenderness that we speak with a child or baby? Also, he says, as well as respectfully address seniors with care, asking, may I ask how you are? So caring about another, regardless of their age. This idea, the foundation of this idea is, can we skillfully tailor... our speech to the person that's in front of us, you know, meeting them just right where they are, tailoring our form of language and expression in a way that's particular to the circumstances and really makes an effort to connect with them.

[28:45]

And simply being recipient of kind speech, it's an uplifting and transformative experience. I don't know, whenever people speak kind to me, I feel more relaxed, I feel my heart's open, I feel connectivity, right? And Dogen says that those who hear kind speech from you will have a delighted expression and a joyful mind. You can often see this on people's faces, right? Those who hear of your kind speech will be deeply touched. They will always remember it. And that last sentence, they will always remember it. It's also rendered a little bit different in the Japanese. And basically, in Japanese, it's more along the lines of, those who hear your kind speech, it will be etched in our liver, meaning our guts, right? So that's really a pretty powerful image, how speech can have a lasting impact on not only our minds, but our bodies. Just think, every time you say something, do you want it to be etched on another person's gut, right?

[29:52]

Yes. So Dogen tells us then that when we delight in and practice kind speech regularly, then little by little it increases. When you make it a habit, the habit increases more kind speech. And even kind speech that is not ordinarily known or seen comes into being. So you're calling forth more kind speech into the world. And furthermore, we're to understand the practice of loving speech or kind speech as a never-ending one. There's no end to it. He writes, be willing to practice it for this entire present life. Do not give up world after world, life after life, practicing kind speech. So not only this moment, this life, but all throughout all time and space, are you willing to continue the practice of kind and loving speech? He also laws the reconciliation power of kind speech.

[30:55]

Dogen claims that kind speech is the basis for reconciling rulers and subduing enemies. In other words, kind words and positive interactions have a better chance of resolving conflict and bringing some sense of connection, harmony, than do harsh words or coercion. Now, I can... Just imagine, you think about it, what a difference it would be if our politicians and our governments and our leaders spoke with kindness and care when addressing each other, and particularly when speaking to those who maybe have an opposing view. I find that particularly challenging sometimes. you know, to be able to, in my own mind, I usually don't say it aloud, but in my mind, I sometimes have negative speech arise, unkind, harsh speech that arises in my mind. And I'm like, that's laying seeds that later I might actually unconsciously act on in some way. So to kind of be aware of what is the speech in my own mind regarding others, can I

[32:01]

cultivate kind speech, even for those who I may not feel an affinity with in terms of the way that they think or speak. To speak with respect to others, to speak unto others as you would have them speak unto you. That includes yourself, by the way. Speak to yourself as you would wish others to speak to you. We are sometimes the harshest to ourselves. And... Finally, Dogen concludes his commentary by claiming that kind speech is not merely praising others or their abilities, but has the power to turn the destiny of the nation. Another translation of this, turns the heavens. It has the power to turn the heavens. So like the Bodhisattva method of giving, kind or loving speech can not only transform the mind, but also the world. moving us towards unity and peace rather than the sense of separation or conflict.

[33:04]

As such, it's one of our most potent and enduring powers to truly affect beneficial change. I think if we just gave more attention to kind, lemming speech, starting with me. Okay, so the third action, the third guiding method that a bodhisattva engages in for the welfare of all beings is riggyo. translated as beneficial action or helpful conduct. And if you unpack the characters, the Japanese characters for rigyo, ri means helpful or beneficial. It can also mean profit or advantage. And gyo means conduct or action, meaning to carry out an action. So... Rigio is also, it's translated as beneficial action, but it's also translated sometimes as fulfilling aims or accomplishing a purpose. And so the focus here is what kind of concrete actions can we take to help actions, to help others, to take actions that bring well-being into the world and help others to thrive?

[34:13]

How do we look about doing this? So Dogen begins... by saying that regyo, beneficial action, is simply creating skillful means to benefit living beings, whether they are noble or humble. So, skillful action, in Sanskrit, the word is upaya, and it's hoban in Japanese, is a concept that originated in early Mahayana teachings. And it came up around the same time that the whole concept of a bodhisattva arose and that we should aspire particularly to be a bodhisattva. So it's a term for employing creative and sometimes gradual or provisional methods to help all ascended beings to awaken. A bodhisattva employs skillful means when they're observing other beings. and beings that they're trying to help in particularly. And then they choose the most appropriate, effective message and actions for the situation to support that being.

[35:18]

So the goal is really to kind of connect to other beings, to get through to them, if you will, in such a way that you can help support them to relieve their suffering and then guide them towards an experience of liberation. And so a bodhisattva recognized, they're being very observant, they're being very mindful, what is needed in this moment? What might be helpful here? What needs to be communicated about? And what ways can I adjust my response to them to help them in particular? Upaya is sometimes called expedient means, and it's said to require compassion, understanding, patience, adaptation, creativity, courage, and a willingness to learn. So there's a lot that goes into upaya. There's a lot that goes into skillful means. And we're doing beneficial action, not with the idea that we're going to get a reward.

[36:19]

Sorry, folks. You're not going to get any reward other than the joy of being of benefit. Right? You know, that is the primary joy. And also recognition that maybe you have helped in some little way to bring some benefit to the well-being of others in the world. So one of the primary bodhisattva archetypes you might be familiar with in Buddhism and is an exemplar of Upaya is that of Alvokiteshvara, which is the bodhisattva of infinite compassion, boundless compassion, who is often depicted as having a thousand arms. You've seen those statues with a thousand arms and a thousand hands. And on the center of each hand, there's an eye. So being able to see what is needed to see all beings and then be able to respond accordingly. So these hands often have various instruments in them, you know, whatever's needed, you know. And this statue,

[37:20]

This represents then the Avakiteshvara's practice of skillful means, compassionately witnessing, and then assisting beings by whatever methods would be effective, using whatever tool, if you will, is at hand. However, in the next paragraph, Dogen criticizes foolish people who think that if they help others first, their own benefit will be lost. Now, some of us... might typically have a little bit of a reservation about helping others because we're afraid that somehow we're going to lose out or we're going to end up with a shorter stick if we do so. But Dogen here is reminding us of our interdependency and that there's no, again, there's no distinction between who benefits from a particular beneficial action. He writes, beneficial action is an act of oneness, benefiting self and others together. So in other words, beneficial act is not only an act through which we can manifest oneness, but it's also an act through which we can realize oneness.

[38:27]

So the activity manifests oneness, but at the same time we awaken to the oneness through the action. So it's not just a good thing that we're generous and kind bodhisattvas, you know, and we do this beneficial action, but we're also practicing as deluded beings trying to wake ourselves up and help ourselves to be free of suffering. Dogen also says that not only should we adopt beneficial action as a bodhisattva practice without discrimination between noble, he says, or human or animal, a humble person, no matter what the circumstances, he tells us, we should benefit friend and enemy equally. We should benefit self and others alike. So... The invitation there is, can I set aside my own personal agendas, my preferences, my judgments, my pride, my self-concern, and wholeheartedly help others?

[39:29]

Even those I might consider my enemy and who might want to harm me in some way, either directly or directly, indirectly. So this can be sometimes a real challenge. I had something come up this week that I was just like, I don't want to help this person. I really, I just, I can't, I can't right now, you know? And so being able to study what is going on there, what is going on there? My enemy and I are both deserving of beneficial action because we are alike. So Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. echoes this sentiment when he counsels that, in seeking to love one's enemy, one must discover the element of good in one's enemy. And every time you begin to hate that person, realize that there is some good there. And look at those good points, which will overbalance the bad point. So I hope... I find this very helpful counsel whenever I find myself, again, getting caught up in strong aversions, particularly to someone who doesn't share my point of view, where they're so countered that I actually feel they're harmful in some way.

[40:33]

How is it that I can see the good in them and that they, at some foundation, want ultimately the same thing? So can I go beyond my dualistic, discriminative mind of self and other and realize our shared being in some way? Finally, Dogen concludes his thoughts on beneficial action by saying, if you have this heart, even beneficial action for the sake of grasses, trees, wind, and water is spontaneous and unremitting. This being so, make a wholehearted effort to help the ignorant. In other words, if you have this spirit of practice, this beneficial action will permeate all of your relationships. not only with living sentient beings, but also how we interact with the environment, with our world around us. We will naturally live a life of beneficial action, trying to help all manner of people, including those that we might perceive as foolish or ignorant.

[41:36]

So we leave no one out of this activity. So finally, the fourth and final embracing action, what Dogen calls identity action. This is kind of, in some ways, less of an action. It's kind of more of a principle, it seems. So this action is called in Japanese doji. So do means same, together, identical, equal, and common. And ji means thing, matter, work, task, and experience. So the Chinese phrase doji is a translation of a compound in Sanskrit word samana artha which can be translated as sharing the same purpose or goal. It can also mean an action taken for the common benefit or an action that benefits both those who act and those who receive the action.

[42:37]

You have a flair of that there. So this doji then can literally mean identity of task but it can also, and often it's translated as cooperation, although that's not quite a full expression. And then identity of purpose, acting together as one, sharing the same aim. There's also a colloquial expression, being in the same boat. We're all in this together. So all of activity is geared towards the same shared vision or goal. And so working together for the same purpose. And this, from a Buddhist perspective as bodhisattvas, we recognize that we all share the same aim, which is namely to seek happiness and to be free of suffering. So the first thing Dogen says about identity action is that doji means non-difference. He writes, it is non-difference from self, non-difference from others. For example, in the human world, the Tathakara, the Buddha, took the form of a human being.

[43:41]

From this we know that he did the same in other realms. When we know identity action, self and others are one. So Dogen is saying here that in our practice of bodhisattvas, we don't differentiate ourselves from others. We don't set ourselves apart from others. We don't put ourselves on a pedestal or put others on a pedestal. And there's no sense of inequality or separation here. And we rather, we seek to kind of fit in and mutually cooperate in considerate ways. And Dogen says we might even, a bodhisattva, peer in other realms and other forms, like the Buddha did, as a way of helping other beings, right? Taking on different disguises. So you might think about this next time you go down, you know... the street you know you see different beings different shapes you know both the homeless person and the um meter attendant and the person who's getting into their car the bicyclist everyone right everyone might be a bodhisattva is a bodhisattva in disguise in some way and particularly those people who challenge you the most those are the really super spy bodhisattvas they they really like i'm here for you right

[45:04]

So Dogen says, let's see here. Dogen says, doji is non-difference or non-separation from self and non-separation from others. So again, we need to include ourselves in the practice of identity action and assuring that we attend to our own integrity and our own wholeness. And he adds, when we know identity action, self and others are one. Another translation of the sentence, when we realize identity action, self and others are one suchness. So in other words, identity action, again, it's a practice of non-duality. This is the essential teaching at Zen. non-duality of self and others. So much of our misery and our suffering as human beings revolves around perceiving and thinking of ourselves as separate or different from others in some way. And often, you know, revolving around some limiting or judgmental view that we have about ourselves and others.

[46:12]

So identity actually is about dropping these mistaken perceptions and ideas of a separate self. and returning to the reality that we always have been a part of, which is this oneness, this suchness. I think of it as the ocean of being, right? And all the three other bodhisattva methods of embracing living beings, giving, loving speech, beneficial action, they are all actually an expression of this non-separation of self and others as oneness. An analogy that Shoha Kokomo offers to understand this concept of identity action is that of a violinist who plays in an orchestra. So the violinist may play in her own unique way, but she never forgets that she's in our harmonious orchestra, right? And the orchestra itself, she has her identity, and the orchestra has its own identity, and she has her particular activity, and there's also the

[47:14]

combined activity or the orchestra together. So identity action refers to the actions of an individual self who identifies as part of an interdependent whole. One's identity action is an expression of identity that adds to the wonder and the beauty of the whole. So your particularity as a being, as a member of the orchestra, contributes and is essential to the whole expression of of everything that's happening, the whole universe, the music of the whole universe. Another way to say this is identity action is a practice of benefiting self and others simultaneously. So what benefits you also benefits others simultaneously. Can we act in that way? So just like a violinist benefits herself. enjoying her activity, playing music, and it benefits the others in the orchestra, and it also benefits those who are hearing the music and enjoying the music.

[48:14]

Shoha Kokomura reminds us that this is possible because we are all interconnected beings in what he calls true reality. He writes, awakening to the reality of non-separation allows us to practice identity action, and identity action creates the music of interdependent origination. Realizing that all beings are players in the symphony allows us to study and understand identity action in our lives. So, identity action is about undertaking any action rooted in the fundamental identity of shared being. That each and every one of us is Buddha. Each and every one of us has or is Buddha nature. And so... we act with this sense of impartiality, a sense of equality and cooperation because of our profound interdependency or profound intimacy. And realizing whatever that helps I do that helps me can also help others when taken up from that understanding.

[49:19]

So in the end, identity action is about putting love in action, acting from and as a realization of our oneness and our shared being. Dogen has much more to say about identity action, including the ways that a wise leader leads from identity action. I don't have time to go into that today, but I do want to share his concluding encouragement. He says, with a gentle expression, practice identity action for all people. There's another translation of this line, face all things with gentle faces. With a gentle expression, with a gentle face. with an open expression. So we practice identity action along with all the other bodhisattva embracing actions, methods of giving loving speech and beneficial action and identity action with this gentle expression on behalf of ourselves and behalf of all beings and with all beings.

[50:22]

We're in this together with all beings. So we aim to meet all beings and all experiences with minds and expression of welcome. of inclusion, of kindness and courage and vulnerability and equanimity. And this, according to the Buddha, is what establishes true bonds of fellowship and a truly healthy community and society together. So, again, if you haven't had the chance to study or read this particular fascicle, I would encourage you to do so, Bodhisattva Shishobo, and explore how you might integrate any or all these embracing actions, these connecting bodhisattva actions into your life and practice for the benefits of all beings. 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.

[51:23]

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

[51:36]

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