This podcast is offered by the San Francisco Zen Center on the web at www.sfcc.org. Our public programs are made possible by donations from people like you. Welcome. Can you hear me okay? Now I've heard that there's a of practice going on here at this temple, which is called a practice period. Is that right? And that the practice period is practicing the six basic bodhisattva practices. Is that right?

[01:01]

These practices in Sanskrit are called paramitas and paramita could be translated literally as going beyond or transcendence or transcendences. So there's a six transcendent practices which are for bodhisattvas on their path of the Buddha way. Six basic modes of leaping beyond. The Buddha way is basically leaping beyond. Leaping free. of all duality, of all separation.

[02:03]

Leaping free of suffering and leaping free of delusion and also leaping beyond enlightenment. So these practices are for bodhisattvas, beings who aspire to realize in this world and beyond authentic unsurpassed awakening in order to benefit the world of suffering. Right around this time of year, March, 1970 I was at Tatsuhara in a practice period and the person leading the practice period was named Tatsugami Roshi and he left Tatsuhara to come to this temple and to join with Suzuki Roshi in opening the Zendo of this temple

[03:29]

Meditation Hall. They opened it sometime in March, I think, 1970. Now we call this temple sometimes Beginner's Mind Temple. At that time, the temple didn't have a name. And the ceremony was to open the temple, open the Zendo, and the name they gave to the Zendo was Maha Bodhisattva Zendo, which is great, enlightening being Zendo. Today I understand that Suzuki Roshi wanted that meditation hall, which is still here. He wanted that to be a place for bodhisattvas to practice.

[04:32]

For beings who are living for the welfare of all living beings. Sometimes people come to Zen Center and some of them come and talk to me and say, excuse me, I confess I'm not here. I'm not here for the welfare of all beings. I'm here just for my own welfare. Can I stay and practice here? I don't want to be a bodhisattva. Can I still go in the zendo, which is for bodhisattvas? And so far, I've almost said yes. You can go into that zendo, which is set up and dedicated to bodhisattvas, who are welcome, all non-bodhisattvas, to come and practice with them. How many of you knew that the name of that zendo was Maha Bodhisattva Zendo?

[05:51]

Would you raise your hands? Three, four, five, five. Not so many in such a big group. That's why I mentioned it. Not to scare you, but to inform you that Zen centers are primarily places to make Buddhas. And everybody's welcome, even the people who do not want to make Buddhas, are welcome to come and join the practice of making Buddhas. again, the six transcendences, they are actually, especially the first, oh, there's six of them. First one's generosity or giving. Second one is ethical discipline, being careful of all your actions.

[06:55]

Third is patience, sitting in In the center. Unmoving. Sitting in the center of all suffering. Peacefully. Diligence. Being enthusiastic about the previous three practices and all the following practices. Feeling enthusiasm about the bodhisattva work. of benefiting all beings. Developing the energy for the practice. The fifth practice is concentration, which is basically being open and relaxed and undistracted from the bodhisattva way. Being present and open and relaxed and undistracted

[08:01]

from living for the welfare of all. And finally, the sixth perfection is the perfection of wisdom, which is wisdom leaping beyond wisdom. But that wisdom which leaps beyond is based on these first practices, which are really grounding practices. The transcendence depends on grounding. Generosity is to ground us in the world of all living beings by welcoming them, by being gracious, by letting them be, which includes letting ourselves be, letting ourselves be, letting ourselves be, grounding ourselves in the way we are so that we can do the practices which transcend the way we are fully being grounded in the way we are so that we can transcend the way we are.

[09:13]

And then when we first start practicing these so-called transcendent practices, we usually practice them according to our idea of them and they're not our idea of them. They're leaping beyond our idea of them. But we start with our idea of them we start by practicing our idea of generosity our idea of being careful and patient and by doing this practice we come to the perfection of wisdom wherein we realize the practice of giving which is the actual practice of giving which is free of our ideas of giving and the actual practice of moral discipline, which leaps beyond our ideas of morality and realizes actual morality of the Buddhas, and so on.

[10:20]

These practices which I just mentioned, if you look in the records of the Zen teachings, You might have to go through quite a few pages before you hear anything about the six perfections. You might even go through quite a few pages of the Zen records before the word compassion appears. The compassion, which is the ground of perfect wisdom, is in some ways not mentioned because it is assumed that we are bodhisattvas and that we're working our compassion all the time. We're aspiring to be compassionate moment by moment. So a lot of the Zen teachings are actually teachings about how to purify

[11:34]

our compassion practice. And the compassion practice might not even be mentioned. What's mentioned is a comment on how to practice without trying to get anything from the practice. So we have the basic practice of compassion and then we have the teachings which hone the practice and purify the practice from any duality. So in the Zen stories, the student brings her practice of compassion and the teacher comments on the practice in such a way as to help her become free of the impurities in her compassion.

[12:43]

For example, she's practicing compassion towards all beings and she still thinks that they're not her. She thinks the beings she's helping are separate from her. She's trying to be compassionate and she's really working at it, but she still doesn't understand that others are herself. So the teacher doesn't even mention maybe her compassion practice. He just points out that the others she's trying to help are herself and she doesn't understand that yet. Or she thinks perhaps that people will be better after she saves them. She thinks that when people become enlightened, they'll get something. That they'll get something when they become enlightened.

[13:44]

That's an impurity in the understanding, which the teacher might mention. And the image comes up to me over and over in the last few seconds, which is about a potter. A master potter. who has a pottery studio with many pottery students. And they learn how to make pots from the teacher. And they work on the pots. They gather the clay. They put water with it. They shape it and they mold it and they spin it and they shape it and they shape it. And the teacher gives them feedback. And when the pot's ready, the teacher might do a little painting on it and put her seal on it.

[14:57]

But making pots is not just doing a little drawing and putting a seal on. That's the final thing. So Zen is kind of like well known for the final touch on the Bodhisattva's compassion practice. So people may not even know that what the Zen teachings are doing is doing the final touch on the compassion practice, on the morality practice, generosity practice. This statue is a statue which I have understood is a statue of the founder of Zen in China.

[16:04]

It's a small statue, so you probably can't see this statue very clearly. But let me tell you, that this statue has eyes. And the eyes are sticking out about, like maybe the equivalent, if this face was the size of my face, the eyes are sticking out about two and a half or three inches. These eyes are penetrating eyes coming out of the head of this person. They're really out there. Now you might think from the side that actually those are eyelashes, but they're not. The eyelashes have been removed and exposing these eyes. These eyes, I propose to you, are eyes of compassion. The founder of the Zen school in China was actually

[17:18]

A form of the bodhisattva guanyin or kanan. This bodhisattva's name is... One name is listening to the cries of the world. That's the bodhisattva's name. So it's listening to the cries of the world, bodhisattva. Listening to the cries... of the world enlightening being. Being enlightened, listening to the cries of the world. Being enlightened, listening to the cries of the world. That's the name of this bodhisattva and that is also a teaching. Being enlightened is listening to the cries of the world. listening to the cries of the world, being enlightened.

[18:23]

That's the basic teaching of the Buddha. The Buddha was a bodhisattva who became a Buddha. But while the Buddha was a bodhisattva, the Buddha was listening to the cries of the world. And after Buddha became the Buddha, The Buddha continued to listen to the cries of the world. This figure, the eyelashes have not been removed and the eyes are not poking out. And she looks very serene and peaceful and loving. And she has a baby on her lap who is cuddling with her. not so difficult to see eyes of compassion, observing all living beings. The founder of Zen is Avalokiteshvara.

[19:43]

founder of Zen is listening to the cries of the world. The founder of Zen is observing all living beings with eyes of compassion. That is the founder of Zen. That is the foundation of Zen. And if you don't want to practice that way, you're welcome to not practice that way until you realize that you are practicing that way. your way. You're practicing that way. Bodhidharma supposedly came from India to transmit the Buddha mind to the Chinese people.

[20:52]

To transmit the Buddha mind listening to the cries of the world to the Chinese people. To transmit that mind which he had of observing the cries of the world, he brought that mind to India and gave it to the Chinese people. Somehow, according to our stories, he got an audience with the emperor of China. The emperor of China that he supposedly met was a historical figure who was a great patron of the Buddha community. He built many monasteries and supported people to live in them.

[22:01]

And he also had meetings with the greatest teachers in China. There were teachers who came before Bodhidharma and the emperor was friends with them. And they discussed the Dharma together. That's like historically somewhat verified by the scholars. Then there's another meeting which the scholars are having trouble verifying. It's the meeting... of the great Bodhisattva, Avalokiteshvara. Bodhidharma with the emperor. In that meeting, Bodhidharma faces the emperor. The emperor faces Bodhidharma. The emperor informs Bodhidharma of all his great works to support Buddhism, and he says, well, what kind of merit did I get for all this?

[23:13]

And Bodhidharma said, Avalokiteshvara said, no merit. Brackets, your majesty, close brackets. This is not the normal kind of compassion. This is the emperor's practicing compassion. The emperor is practicing compassion. The emperor was greatly compassionate. He was very generous. Bodhidharma came to purify his practice from any concern or any entrapment in trying to gain something by all his compassion. And he says, what am I getting out of this? Or what are we getting out of this? Or how am I making China better? And Bodhidharma says, no better, no merit.

[24:19]

Then the emperor somehow is able to continue and says well what's the highest meaning of the holy truths which he has studied and Bodhidharma says vast emptiness no holy which also I could interpret as saying what's the highest the emperor says what's the highest meaning of the holy truths And Bodhidharma says, it leaps beyond your idea of holy. It leaps beyond holy. That's the highest. And then finally the emperor says, who is it who's facing me? And Bodhidharma says, I would say, it's not consciousness. Usually, most translators who know more about Chinese than I do translate it as either not knowing, who is it that's facing me, not knowing, but also sometimes they say don't know, and sometimes they even add in I don't know.

[25:47]

But literally, it uses the Buddhist term for consciousness, and I'd like to point out today that that's the word that's used, and it's not consciousness. What's standing in front of you, emperor, is not consciousness. What's standing in front of you, emperor, is wisdom that has gone and leaped beyond wisdom. That's what's in front of you. That's his final touch on the emperor's practice. And then in Chinese it says, but the emperor couldn't merge with it. Often translated, the emperor didn't understand. But the character really means more like The emperor couldn't meet Bodhidharma. He couldn't meet perfect wisdom. And then Bodhidharma left and went to northern China and sat in a cave facing a wall for nine years.

[26:52]

Sat in a cave listening to the cries of the world for nine years. And thus, we have the thing called Zen in China. Because he sat there for nine years listening to the cries of the world. In most Zen temples, and probably even in this one, on a regular basis, we chant a teaching, a scripture, called the Heart of Great Transcendent Wisdom. You still chanting that here? Okay. Well, at the beginning, what does it say? After the title, it says, Avalokiteshvara.

[27:57]

It says, Bodhidharma. It says, being enlightened. Listening to the cries of the world. Practicing deeply the perfection of wisdom. clearly saw that all five categories of existence are empty of own being and thus relieved all suffering. I guess that's like one sentence. And it's a big one. And I don't have much time. But here's the sentence. Being enlightened.

[29:04]

Listening to the cries of the world. Listening to the cries of the world. Enlightening being. Deeply practicing. Deeply practicing wisdom. Which is going beyond wisdom. In this practice. There is a vision. That all the categories of existence. are leaping beyond your idea of them. And this relieves all suffering. Enlightening being listening to the cries of the world is practicing perfect wisdom. The way to practice perfect wisdom is to listen to the cries of the world. And this listening, when it's complete, when it's wholehearted, when its impurities have been burned away in wholeheartedness, it is practicing wisdom.

[30:17]

Listening to the Christ of the world when we are free of any sense of gain or loss, of fame or profit, of self and other, when we practice the listening in that wholehearted way, it is practicing perfect wisdom. And practicing it wholeheartedly means that you're listening to the cries of the world, all beings, and listening inside your own mind, inwardly, you're listening to your own cries in the same wholehearted way. And your own cries might be... listening to the cries of the world, I've got to do something. I've got to accomplish something. What should I do next? Not to mention, I'm afraid, I'm confused, I hate these people. But even if you tried out listening to the cries of the world, as you're listening, a voice inside you might say, I've got to accomplish something in this life.

[31:28]

I've got to get somewhere. I've got to do some good. You also might hear other people say that to you. I'm saying to you that those are cries. Everything in your consciousness is cries, crying for compassion. And when we wholeheartedly listen to the inner cries and the outer cries, that wholehearted listening is wisdom beyond wisdom. which sees the way things really are. And in seeing the way they are, suffering is relieved. Distress is relieved. By what? By realizing the nature of distress. By realizing and seeing the nature of suffering beings. But we, in order to see the nature of suffering, which is the nature of suffering beings,

[32:30]

I must wholeheartedly observe them, me. Me, them. If I don't wholeheartedly observe suffering, I won't see the way it is. And when I don't see the way it is, I'm trapped in it. Trapped in it, not by it, but my lack of wholeheartedness. My lack of generosity with suffering. Ethical carefulness with suffering. Patience with suffering. Diligence with suffering. and undistracted, open, relaxed, calm presence with it. When I'm that way with suffering, that's like wholeheartedly listening to it. That's being Bodhidharma. That's being Avalokiteshvara. Wholehearted listening, practicing perfect wisdom, seeing the way things really are, and relieving suffering. Bodhidharma is our founder, but other parts of the world also have their founders.

[33:47]

They're great teachers of the Bodhisattva way. And when I look at their teaching, I think they're doing the same work as Bodhidharma. They have students who are working on compassion and they're trying to help their students. purify their compassion practice. From what? From trying to get something out of it. From trying to eliminate the suffering. To get rid of the suffering. The bodhisattvas are not trying to get rid of the suffering. They're wholeheartedly listening to it. And in listening to it, the blessings arise. not arise. They don't come or go, the blessings. The blessings are realized. Not by doing something other than or beyond wholeheartedly listening.

[34:52]

All the things people are doing, if we listen to them wholeheartedly, they turn into Dharma doors. And then when the Dharma comes, suffering is relieved. Distress is relieved. There's one story which pops up about a great Tibetan teacher. One of the greatest is named Tsangkapa. And he had one of his main disciples had a simple name called Dram. And Dram was living in a monastery in Tibet and one of the senior monks met him and he said to the senior monks, you are so compassionate. you are so generous, so generous with your life, helping all the monks, teaching them so much wonderful practices.

[35:53]

I'm just deeply touched by your practice. And you know, it would be nice if you did something spiritual sometime. The senior monk listened to that and then On another occasion, and another occasion, Dram said the same thing to him. You know, I must say I'm deeply moved to see the way you're taking care of the ceremonies and practices of this monastery. You're a great blessing in this world. Thank you so much. And when you have a chance, you might be nice if you did something spiritual. Finally, the monk couldn't hold himself back and say, What do you mean do something spiritual? And Dram said, stop trying to get something out of life. Infinite living beings are hooked on trying to get something out of this life.

[37:00]

Therefore, they suffer. They're practicing giving, which is the way of the Buddhas. but they're trying to get something from the way of the Buddhas. If we wholeheartedly listen to this one, who might be me, who's trying to get something from the Bodhisattva practice, who's trying to get something from generosity, ethics, patience, diligence, concentration, and even trying to get something from wisdom, if I listen to that, if I watch that effort with eyes of compassion, I will allow that effort, that impure effort to be impure. And I will allow it to be impure without trying to get something from allowing it to be impure.

[38:03]

And this practice will be transmitted to all the people who are doing good things in an impure way. And they will learn how to do what they're doing, the same practice, the same things they're doing, but they will learn how to do them more wholeheartedly. To do them so wholeheartedly that there's no concern, there's no holding on to gain or loss, self or other, pure or impure. When we're sitting anywhere, including a Zen hall, when we're sitting, we have the opportunity to listen to the cries of the world. The Buddhas are sitting at the center of all beings, listening to their cries wholeheartedly.

[39:13]

They have trained to make their listening wholeheartedly. We can also train to help our listening be wholehearted by listening to our own cries. And again, everything, everything, everything that's happening in your consciousness is calling for compassion. All your thoughts are calling for compassion. There's no exception. Everything anybody else is thinking and saying and gesturing is calling for compassion. Everybody's calling us. We're calling everybody. We're calling for compassion. They're calling for compassion. We're doing this all day long. It's a question of learning to listen. Wholeheartedly. That's Bodhidharma. Would you take him back to his place? We're going to put Bodhi Dharma statue back on the altar.

[40:17]

So I pray that you remember his practice. His practice. He's listening to you. He's listening to himself. He has cries too. He listens to his cries wholeheartedly. He listens to your cries wholeheartedly. He is transmitting what he came to transmit. He came to China to transmit the Buddha mind. Apparently, he didn't know about America yet. I don't know if anybody went to him and said, would you mind transmitting the Buddha Mind Seal over across the ocean to America also? It is not called America yet. But anyway, would you send it over the ocean? And he said, in about 1,500 years, I'll send it over to some of my successors. So we had, yeah, Suzuki Roshi was one of his successors. He brought the Buddha mind over to this place.

[41:23]

Now you have it. You have the Buddha mind from Bodhidharma, from Buddha, from Suzuki Roshi. You have it. It's been given to you. What is it? What is it? What's the Buddha mind? Louder, please. Yeah, that's the Buddha mind seal. Wholeheartedly. listening to the cries of the world wholeheartedly. That's what Buddhists transmit. It was a long trip from India to China and a long trip from China to Japan and a long trip from Japan to the United States. But now we have it. You have it. You have the Buddha mind. Please take care of it. It's a wonderful thing. It relieves all suffering and distress. This is for you. You can keep it.

[42:35]

So I gave the statue to him. Okay. but I'm giving all of you the mind of the Buddha. You have it now. May I ask you, will you take care of it? Thank you. 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, please visit sfzc.org and click Giving. May we fully enjoy the Dharma.

[43:28]

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