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. Good evening and welcome. So, um, my name's Catherine and, um, I began coming here in 1990 and did a lot of things here. I was also one of the massage therapists with Lauren. We were two of the first massage therapists here, at least for guest season, and practiced here. I lived in Monterey, so I was in and out of here a lot, so very fortunate. So how many are here for the first time?

[01:02]

Wow, a lot. That's great. Well, enjoy. And again, welcome. So this evening I'm going to continue talking about Shantideva, the teachings of Shantideva. We had a class this afternoon. And so I'm just going to continue on that theme. And if you don't know who Shantideva was, he was a monk in the 8th century in India. And he studied at the great Nalanda University, which was started, I think, some, well, one version says it started in the 5th century BCE, and another said it was the 5th century CE, so... I don't really know. But anyway, it was a great learning center for both Buddhism and other fields of study like astronomy and science and medicine and other religions too, including the Jain religion.

[02:08]

So it was quite a center of learning. And as I told the group this afternoon, he had the reputation of not being a very serious student. And in fact, they referred to him as his only practices were eating, sleeping, and shitting. So his rep was not so good. But they decided that either to get rid of him and discourage him completely, or to try and encourage him to become more serious, they invited him to give a talk, which at that time was a great honor to be asked to give a talk. And to make it even harder for him, they built a huge chair, throne, that he would have a lot of difficulty getting up onto this chair or throne. And so he came in,

[03:13]

no problem getting up on the throne. And then he asked the assembly, would you like to hear something new or something that you're familiar with? And they all said, well, we want something new. So he proceeded to expound the complete Bodhicaryavatara, the guide to the way of the Bodhisattva, which is something like at least six, seven hundred verses. And that's what he'd been doing, you know, was writing his magnum opus while they all thought he was doing other things or nothing. So it's come down to us as a very important text in the Mahayana tradition, and it's really kind of a training manual, a guidebook for becoming bodhisattvas. And the group I lead in Sonoma, we have a small sitting group called Sonoma Valley Zen, and we've been studying the way of the bodhisattva, using Pema Chodron's book, Becoming Bodhisattvas.

[04:19]

So it's her commentary, all the verses, except for there's one chapter she left out on wisdom, and she had intended to write a book specifically on that chapter, but I don't think she's done it yet. I've looked for it and I can't find it, but hopefully she will do it one day. But the... Dalai Lama has a book specifically on the ninth chapter which has to do with wisdom, with emptiness. And it's sort of a conversation between the different traditions at that time and the middle way, the Madhyamaka of Mahayana Buddhism. So anyway, that's just a little introduction. So our bodhisattva way in our Mahayana tradition, which is our way here in Zen, is to develop our capacity through practice to be an enlightening and enlightened being.

[05:25]

Enlightened and enlightening. And the bodhisattva vow is to remain in the samsaric world until all beings have been enlightened. Liberated, not eliminated. Oops. Anyway, so until all beings are liberated. And how do we do that? I mean, this is a big thing, right? I mean, as we say, beings are numberless. I vow to save them. How are we going to do that? So it's an impossible task on the one hand. And yet Pema says, and Shantideva says, that people like us can make a difference. Just our ordinary, wonderful selves, extraordinary, ordinary, wonderful selves can make a difference. And Suzuki Roshi was known to say, just yourself, this is enough.

[06:25]

So I want to encourage you all to take that in and really, really bring it in to your heart and mind. because it doesn't have to be big things. It can be just being kind and being open and being curious, like, who is this person in front of me that I have all these preconceived ideas about? It's just as simple as, I don't know. I don't know. And I don't know helps us to be open, to remain open, to trust in that fellow being who's just like me, who's got all the problems of life, maybe different, but we all go through many, many things in our lives that are difficult and hard to meet and hard to solve without often causing more problems for ourselves.

[07:31]

So the bodhisattva way And our practice is to understand how we actually create our own suffering. And that's kind of the magic of zazen, is it helps us to have the space and the quiet, the shamatha, the tranquility to investigate this body and mind to see where we're getting caught and how we can... intervene in that to become more helpful, both for ourselves and for others. So the concept that is kind of like the underpinning of the way of the bodhisattva is developing our bodhicitta, our awakened heart and mind. And how we do that

[08:32]

is to investigate ourselves, to study ourselves, as Dogen said, so that we can drop ourselves, so we can let go of self-interest, and then we can be more open and available to other people. If we're less caught up in ourselves, we're more available to other people. So there's a whole section on developing bodhicitta and... Let me read you a little bit. I thought I had that marked, but I do have a bookmark. So Shantideva says, Bodhicitta, the awakened mind, in brief, is said to have two aspects.

[09:37]

First, aspiring bodhicitta in intention, then active bodhicitta, practical engagement. Wishing to depart and setting out upon the road, this is how the difference is conceived. The wise and learned thus should understand this difference, which is ordered and progressive. So having an intention is one thing, but then to actually put it into action is another. And putting it into action takes that relying upon the wisdom of understanding the nature of reality, of how we actually exist, which is in complete interdependence, and co-arising, and the understanding that everything and everyone is subject to multiple complex causes and conditions.

[10:42]

So when we are in a difficult situation, if we can remember that, just like me, everyone else is dealing with many things in their lives that are very difficult or complex or hard to understand sometimes how we get caught in various circumstances. And oftentimes we tend to repeat the same mistakes over and over and over, creating difficulty for ourselves and for others. And that's, again, the beauty of our practice is it gives us the space and time to see how we get caught, how our mind works, and the things that keep coming up our habits that are repetitive. And so the more that we can get to know our stuff, the less likely we are to act out from an unhelpful place.

[11:55]

So... So Shantideva in these two verses presents the two aspects of relative bodhicitta, aspiration and action. Aspiring or intentional bodhicitta is like wishing to take a trip. Active bodhicitta is actually setting out on the journey. We first aspire to attain enlightenment and benefit others. Then we do whatever it takes to make this a reality. So... And then Pema gives an example. Let's say you're stuck in grasping or craving. You know that you collect and hoard, that you panic when something's taken from you or you have to let it go. How do you work with unreasonable attachment for your own sake and the happiness of others? So one way would be to cultivate generosity. So throughout the Bodhicaryavatara, the way of the Bodhisattva, Shantideva encourages us to cultivate the six paramitas of generosity, enthusiasm, meditation, wisdom, discipline, energy.

[13:13]

So we can actively engage with our unhealthy habits, in a way that it's like an intervention. We can stop that progression from the first impulse. And this is where our Zazen practice is so helpful. We can notice that first impulse of being pulled. Catherine and I were talking earlier about being pulled, that impulse to like, okay, I'm going to defend myself or I'm going to tell this person what I really think about that. And so we can stop it right there if we're aware of it. But so often we're not aware of it. We don't know that all of a sudden we're just in this big thing.

[14:16]

All of a sudden we blew up and the whole thing's falling apart and everyone goes off in a huff and it's like, oh, how did that happen? Anybody recognize themselves in that? So the first step in this is having the aspiration, the intention. And then following from that, all kinds of great advice is given to us in this wonderful text. So... So that's bodhicitta, so that's having the aspiration to awaken our awakened heart and mind, and then to extend it to others. So there are three disciplines that Shantideva recommends that will help us. One is non-harming, understanding non-violence in thought, speech, and action.

[15:19]

the impact of non-harming on personal and social well-being. So that's one of the three disciplines. So, in Mark's class when he was here, he encouraged people to practice, use the practice of non-violent communication. And I always try and encourage people as well to work with our feelings when we need to have a difficult conversation with someone to express, you know, like if we're feeling hurt or somehow we've been disrespected or treated unjustly, how do we engage with that in a way that's constructive and not destructive? So it's really important to speak from one's own experience. So I. I feel... or I experienced when this happened, this is how it made me feel.

[16:23]

And then from there, expressing what you need in the situation. So I need to feel heard, I need to feel that what I have to say is important, you know, whatever it is for you, but to speak from that place of your own experience. And then... and then to be able to engage in a dialogue with the other person. And real dialogue can only happen when both parties are willing to listen and to change, to change their mind about something. It doesn't mean you have to change your mind, but to be willing to listen and to be open and to... consider another person's experience. So that's the non-harming aspect.

[17:28]

The next of the three disciplines is gathering virtue. And how that works is engaging in ethical conduct and virtuous actions. And... when we are able to do that, it's said that we accumulate merit. So that could be kind of like an ego-y thing, you know, like, oh, what a good girl am I. I just did this great thing. So the way that we avoid getting caught up in that is to give it away, to give away the merit, to extend the merit for the benefit of all beings. Whatever goodness, whatever thing I did that might have been great, I dedicate that to saving all beings. I dedicate it to my teachers. I dedicate it to all the people who've helped me over my life, you know. So giving it away. So that's gathering virtue.

[18:30]

And then the third discipline is benefiting others. Acts of service and their role in the bodhisattva path and the interconnection of self and others in seeking enlightenment. Oops, sorry. I just jumped ahead without my outline. Sorry, I lost my place. Okay, so... So these three disciplines are very helpful to us in dealing with what we call the kleshas, which are harmful mind states. So things like greed, jealousy, anger, hatred, you know, all those really harmful kinds of emotions that come up for us, as we refer to as kleshas, harmful mind states.

[19:41]

And our sitting practice and other practices based in mindfulness and paying attention help us to strengthen our capacity first to recognize and then refrain from engaging in harmful thought, speech, and action. So refraining is a really strong concept in Shantideva's work. And I'll read you a little bit of what he advises. There you go. So to de-escalate the klejas, Shantideva advises us to remain like a log. So when the urge arises in the mind to feelings of desire or wrathful hate, do not act. Be silent, do not speak, and like a log of wood, be sure to stay.

[20:46]

When the mind is wild with mockery and filled with pride and haughty arrogance, and when you want to show the hidden faults of others, to bring up old dissensions or to act deceitfully, and when you want to fish for praise or criticize and spoil another's name, or use harsh language, sparring for a fight, it's then that, like a log, you should remain. So just stop. Stop before you get into trouble. And that's really a good acronym. Stop. So S, stop. T, take a step back, take a breath. O, stop. Open and observe, and then P, proceed. So, just remember to stop.

[21:47]

It's really, really helpful before you leap. So, refraining, and then, so, non-harming, gathering virtue, benefiting others. And these three disciplines, they intersect and support one another. So non-harming creates the space for ethical behavior, while accumulating virtue paves the way for effective altruism. So in daily life, aspiring bodhisattvas can integrate these principles by consciously observing our thoughts, actions and motivations, ensuring we remain aligned with our commitment to compassion and service. So applying these disciplines fosters a holistic approach to personal and collective well-being, embodying the essence of the bodhisattva ideal.

[22:53]

How are we doing on time? When should I stop? 840? Okay. So you might think that, wow, this is quite a lot to try and achieve. I'm just a mere little human being. How can we possibly do all this, right? Well, we can't. We're human. We're going to make mistakes, right? This is the nature of... living in a dualistic world. So it's really important, and the emphasis on compassion in our practice isn't just for other people, it's for ourselves as well. So be kind to yourself. Know that we make mistakes. Leslie's not here, but one of my mantras that I learned from Leslie was, we make our best effort,

[24:03]

and then we apologize. So, and Suzuki Roshi said something like, that practice is just one continuous mistake. So be not afraid, for you're not alone. And it's actually the opportunity. Mistakes really give us a great opportunity. And that's one of the other things that Shantideva said, helps us to realize is that pain and suffering are actually important parts of our training, that if we can turn toward the difficulties in our lives and actually go through them, you know, there's a saying that there's no way out but through, right? So if we can actually really engage with our difficulties, and we can reframe the relationship to difficulties as actually an opportunity.

[25:09]

I know that sounds kind of like, yuck, I don't want to do that. But actually, if we can actually change our mind about how we meet difficulties in our life, we can learn so much and we can open that great, wonderful heart, mind to others for the benefit of others. So it's important that we be kind to ourselves, kind to others, I remember Robin Williams had a wonderful thing that he used to say. He said, be kind. You don't know what somebody else is going through. You don't know the battles they're fighting. Because, you know, we look at people, we make all kinds of assumptions, right?

[26:13]

But we have no idea what's going on with somebody else. So Robin Williams says, be kind. Be kind. And that includes ourselves, so... So while it's important that we, you know, kind of take all of this seriously, it's also really helpful to kind of hold it lightly, you know, give ourselves a little break. Thank you for listening to this podcast offered by the San Francisco Zen Center. Our Dharma talks are offered free of charge, and this is made possible by the donations we receive. Your financial support helps us to continue to offer the Dharma. For more information... Visit sfcc.org and click Giving.

[26:59]

@Transcribed_UNK
@Text_v005
@Score_97.32