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. Good morning. Welcome to our Sushin Sangha. And It looks like a very familiar sangha. There's a lot of overlap with the practice period sangha that's been going on for a while now and a few extra-friendly phases. I think there is something about the sign-up process and the logistics of participating in an event at Zen Center that reinforces the idea that this Sashim belongs to Zen Center.

[01:07]

But I think that obscures the truth that you, by your commitment and arrival and participation, create the Sangha. Zen Center is merely the host and we provide some resources to make it possible. But it wouldn't be happening at all without you. And I hope that during this next six days you will give your energy to it to maintain and sustain it. So this is the culmination of a 10-week practice period that Tova Green and I have been leading. And we've enjoyed it a lot.

[02:14]

I think we've had a wonderful time. We've been inspired by the participants, mostly. And the materials that we've been teaching and each other. And it's been a lot of fun. I'm sorry to see it come to an end in a way. So this is the first day of our Sushin. And so I think it's appropriate to begin with some reminders about why we do such a thing. and maybe some suggestions about how to approach it for all of us, because we only do this every few months and we kind of forget. So, in the practice period class, we've been studying Shantideva's Bodhacharya Vatara

[03:24]

That's Sanskrit. In English, it means guide to the way of the bodhisattva. And the text is based on the six perfections or six paramitas, which is a traditional teaching of Buddhism. It's one of the many outlines for the way of a bodhisattva. And we saved the chapter about meditation for this occasion. It seemed appropriate to bring it up during sushin. So that's what I intend to do today. So the six perfections are qualities that a bodhisattva has. and qualities that an aspiring bodhisattva cultivates. So we cultivate generosity by practicing generosity, and we cultivate morality by practicing morality.

[04:40]

We cultivate patience by practicing patience. So those are the first three of the six perfections and the others are enthusiasm, meditation, and wisdom. So in this text, Shante Diva, who is a very passionate person, describes the woes and sorrows of living in the world without benefit of practice in grisly terms as horrific hall realms. And then he describes the way of living with the benefits of practice as the opposite of that, as wonderful and happy and blissful.

[05:44]

So in the meditation chapter, he urges us to take refuge and pursue calm abiding or shamatha meditation as an antidote to the woes of the world. And we have arrived here to do just that. The text is in verse form. which I very much appreciate because it's so easily memorizable. And in fact, some of the verses are famous and unforgettable, and they live in my mind as I go about my daily activities and pop up at points when they're needed or relevant. And they're also succinct and pithy and usually very dramatically stated.

[06:53]

So instead of plowing through a book about the paramitas and pages and pages of text, we have this simple, very dramatic, sometimes provocative little four-line verse to wrap our heads around. And I've enjoyed it a lot. So in this talk, I want to bring forth some of the verses about meditation. And particularly, the next couple that I will read are about coming here and putting aside worldly concerns so that you can devote yourself to meditation. So Shantideva says, after cultivating diligence, set your mind to concentrate, for those whose minds are slack and wandering are caught between the fangs of the afflictions.

[08:05]

So this is a very typical way that Shantideva expresses himself. The afflictions that he's... Oh, well, first of all, he says, after cultivating diligence. So diligence is the fourth perfection. And he's talking about meditation, which is the fifth. And so it's traditional for them to be presented in this linear way that we practice one and then the other and then the other, and it gets progressively more difficult. But you've probably noticed that your life isn't particularly linear, that helter-skelter might be a better word. And also the final perfection is wisdom, and it's impossible to perfect any of the perfections without it being infused with wisdom.

[09:11]

And they're talking about a particular thing here when they say wisdom, which is emptiness or an understanding of emptiness, that everything is impermanent and always changing, that nothing has an independent existence, and that includes us. So there's no self that exists independent of wisdom. other people and circumstances and things, the universe. So the afflictions he refers to are our strong and difficult emotions, such as anger, hatred, envy, jealousy, resentment. These are emotions that cause us harm and may drive us to do harm to others.

[10:18]

So that's the sense in which he says they have fangs. They can be damaging to us and other people. And the next verse, in solitude... the mind and body are not troubled by distraction. Therefore, leave this worldly life and totally abandon metal wandering. Penetrative insight joined with calm abiding utterly eradicates afflicted states. Knowing this, first search for calm abiding found by those who joyfully renounce the world. So here we are in solitude. This is what he means by solitude.

[11:22]

We're meditating. We're not involved for this six days or however long each of you is here in the world, in our usual pursuits and our... planning and goal setting and all the things that we have to do and worry about. And so that's the sense in which we leave the worldly life and abandon mental wandering. Mental wandering is when our mind leaves its object of meditation and needs to be brought back. So he promises us that penetrative insight combined with calm abiding, in other words, concentration and wisdom together, utterly eradicates afflicted states. So that's very promising to hear him say that.

[12:25]

It's some motivation to do this. And then he says, knowing this, in other words, having faith that that is true. This first search for calm abiding found by those who joyfully renounce the world. So I think we usually think of renouncing or renunciation as giving up something pleasant that we want. But he's talking about renouncing our cares and concerns and worries to just sit here and meditate. So it's actually a joyful prospect that's offered to us. And he says that the way to calm abiding is to renounce the world. So we give up our involvement with it for this week. And that's the foundation for insight which eradicates our afflicted states and enables us to live in peace.

[13:36]

So that's, I think, a very happy prospect that's worth pursuing. He goes on. May ordained monks intent upon the practice find perfect places for retreat and solitude, Abandon every vagrant thought and meditate with trained and serviceable minds. So here is our perfect place right here for retreat. And we are all like monks for this week or for however long you're going to be here. Vagrant thought is when our mind wanders from the object And all we have to do is let go of thought and devote ourselves to this meditation. So I wonder if, as I say all this, if you're thinking that that sounds very familiar.

[14:41]

And this morning we chanted something else. We chanted the Fukanza Zengi. which is a fascicle by our ancestor Ehe Dogen. And we're probably, most of us, much more familiar with the writings of Dogen than Shantideva. But listen to what he says. This is a very famous passage. For Samson, a quiet room is suitable. Eat and drink moderately. Cast aside all involvements and cease all affairs. Do not think good or bad. Do not administer pros and cons. Cease all the movements of the conscious mind, the gauging of all thoughts and views. Have no designs on becoming a Buddha.

[15:41]

So the word sanzen means to penetrate Zen, and sometimes it's used as a word for dokusan, or a private meeting with a teacher. But in this context it means zazen. And so both Shantideva and Dogen, with their very different styles of expression, probably different styles of practice, are passionately urging us, begging us really, to give up worldly concerns and be here and meditate. So I find that very inspiring and convincing. I think, probably, at least in my case, until I had done a really long retreat like this.

[16:45]

I didn't quite realize what a physical practice Zazen is, but it's a very physical practice. And so I want to say some things about appropriate care and attitude towards our body. This noon, For noon service, we'll chant a fascicle called, Another fascicle of Dogon's. And Tova talked about it in her talk on Wednesday night. And she, I think, quoted this line. It says, In this life, save the body, which is the fruit of many lives. So what does it mean to save people? I think saving means preserving or conserving or maintaining serviceability.

[17:51]

And by the way, we know that that's probably not possible in the case of our body. And Dogen says that our body is the fruit of many lives. So our body has come to us as a result of all the causes and conditions of all time in the world. I think it's pretty mind-boggling to realize that, but it seems absolutely true to me. Therefore, to me, that means that our body is sacred. And in that, it's like everything else in life. So everything is like that.

[18:56]

My life that I have right now has come to me as a result of all the causes and conditions of all time in the world. And so it's sacred. And it's the sacred vehicle, my body and my life, through which I practice sazen, through which I practice enlightenment, shamatha, benefiting beings. So I'm going to... include some of Shanti Deva's verses about the body. So pay the body, pay this body, do remuneration, but then be sure to make it work for you. But do not lavish everything on what will not bring perfect benefit.

[20:03]

So I think due remuneration is the same as what I said about saving the body, that it's conserving, preserving, maintaining the body as something that serves us. And it won't bring perfect benefit because it will inevitably become sick or broken or die or decay. We can't hold on to our perfect body just as it is. So I think our relationship to our bodies is a little bit like our relationship to a rental car. We get to use it for a while, and then the time runs out, and it has to be returned. So Shantideva suggests a very simple but adequate caretaking of the body.

[21:10]

He says there's no need for excessive or luxurious food or shelter or fancy clothes or getting more sleep than we need. to restore our functioning. So we don't have to lavish a lot of attention on our body. He says, he goes on then, regard your body as a vessel, a simple boat for going here and there. Make of it a wish-fulfilling gem to bring about the benefit of beings. So a wish-fulfilling gem is a vehicle for practicing enlightenment, practicing the perfections to benefit beings. It's a sacred thing.

[22:13]

So I think that Shantideva and Dogen are giving us really the same advice about our bodies, to find a balance between pampering and indulgence. on the one hand, and asceticism or abuse on the other. And this is exactly Buddha's middle way from the legend of the Buddha's life, which is a teaching about how to live. Shantideva warns against comfort orientation and says it's a form of laziness. So laziness is the opposite of enthusiasm or diligence, which is the fourth perfection.

[23:16]

And he also advocates patience, the third perfection, and suggests that we practice patience with physical pain and discomfort. He advises us to prepare for the eventuality of death and other major hardships by practicing patients with little cares and small annoyances. I remember Mel Weitzman, who's the abbot of Berkeley Zone Center and one of our former abbots, said that when he gets sick, when he gets sick, the flu or a cold, he practices that he's dying. So I'm curious. I don't know exactly how he does that, but I'm interested in the idea. So this is one of Shantedeva's verses.

[24:22]

There is nothing that does not grow light through habit and familiarity. Putting up with little cares I'll train myself to bear with great adversity. So how do we do this during Sashin? For one thing, we follow the schedule completely. So we may enjoy sitting and having a cup of tea or sitting in the sun in the courtyard enjoying the fresh air. But when the bell rings, we just get up and go back to the Zendo and resume our sitting. So in that way, we practice patience with not doing exactly what we want to do every moment. We eat what is offered and don't go looking for exactly what we want. And for these few days, we let go of our favorite comforts and distractions

[25:32]

such as reading, writing, listening to music, making phone calls, surfing the web. For some of us, it's hard to imagine six days without all those activities. And another way that we practice patience is by trying not to move while we're sitting. So I think if I were to make up a frequently asked questions about zazen, probably the first question would be, am I doing it right? And close behind would be, if I'm in pain, should I move? I don't think we ever really answer either of those questions once and for all. Life keeps changing and happening, and we respond to it.

[26:36]

But it's a good question, and I think that Shantideva and Dogen have given us some hints. So why sit still is one question that comes up, I think. I think the main reason is that when the body is still, the mind is more apt to be still. I think physical movement is preceded by an impulse, a thought, a decision, a judgment. And this can be very fleeting, very fast. and so subtle that we almost feel sometimes like the body moves on its own, that there's no mental involvement. I recommend the practice of trying this, not just when you're in the zendo, but when you're just sitting, relaxing somewhere.

[27:45]

And I've also used it as a practice at night in bed, as an antidote to the tossing and turning of insomnia, to just make a deliberate decision to be still. But not too hard and fast. What that means is that when the urge to move comes, I wait a bit and notice my experience. And I do notice that the... that sometimes I just don't even catch it. I move before I can think about it. So it's just interesting to notice that sequence of events, I think. And so I think that's a good reason to sit still. That's one of the reasons that we try to sit still. Practicing patience also teaches us that impermanence, that everything changes all the time.

[28:58]

And I think that sitting still and sitting still for a long time or coming back again and again to zazen is much easier if we have some understanding of impermanence. I remember many times in my early sashins when I would be very tired and sore and think, I don't want to sit another period of zazen. I've had enough. But I was committed to the schedule. And so when the bell rang, I just sat down and continued sitting. And I would do it with the mind of, this is going to be terrible. And then I would forget that thought and sometimes have a very enjoyable period of sasana and hardly even be aware of

[30:06]

the fact that there was such a discrepancy between what I was expecting and what happened. And I think it's because I had this idea about time that I think we often have, that things just accumulate. That if you're tired, you continue to get more tired until you get some rest. Or if you're in pain, you continue to be more and more in pain until you move. And it isn't like that. these things are the result of conditions. And the conditions in one moment may be completely different than the conditions in the next moment. So whatever is causing your pain or fatigue may not be present in the next period of zazen. So I think it really helps to just keep a really open mind.

[31:07]

a curious mind interested in how it is. How is this process of life? How does this sitting actually unfold? It's very interesting if you don't have any fixed idea about it to begin with. And it's also much easier. So I do want to say about moving. that if you need to move, you should move. Certainly, if you have any sense that you're doing any damage to your body, you should move, absolutely. And you should find a comfortable way to sit, whether it's cross-legged, sitting, lying on a chair, whatever. But I also think it's valuable to wait and try and see if you actually need to move.

[32:17]

Just be gentle with yourself and curious and interested in what will happen. And if you decide to move, I recommend moving enough to actually relieve whatever your difficulty is. So I can remember sitting in a sushi and making tiny little incremental movements kind of wiggling around that actually made me feel worse. I found that if I was sitting cross-legged and I wanted to recross my legs the other way, that I had to unfold my legs and sit in a rest posture for a little while and then refold my legs the other way. And you may have to do that too. You can experiment. So be kind to yourself and take the time you need. You don't have to make it inconspicuous or hidden. Just sit still when you can sit still and move when you need to move.

[33:23]

Another way to think about the body is to think of ourselves as part of the Sashin body and move together with the Sashin. So just as a hand has five different kinds of fingers with different functions that all work together to do the job of the hand, and our body has arms and legs and a head and bones and things. We as individuals have come together and are engaging in this sushin as one body. So please take refuge in this sushin sangha and give and receive mutual support

[34:36]

This is a small sasheen, and it will be smaller after today, so your participation is even more important. Please support it. And this effort and presence that you bring is your enactment of your Bodhisattva vow to support all beings in their uncovering of their true nature. So I thank you for that and encourage you to please sustain it during this week. I think that in this room, in this process, we may feel like we're swimming. And we are. We're doing the swimming. We need to continue this week doing the swimming. But in this circumstance,

[35:39]

The current is with us. It's not so hard. I think when we're out in the world, we can feel like we're swimming against the current, but we're lucky in that here. So you set aside this time to come and be here, and you planned for it and looked forward to it, and it's the culmination of the practice period. and of your intention. So please bring your effort to it and use the time that we have for the purpose that you intended. And I want to suggest that you remind yourself of that intention at the beginning of every period of zazen. whether it's just today or for a few days that you're here or for the whole six days.

[36:44]

Every time you sit down, try reminding yourself of your intention and see what difference it makes. And I think that intention is to cultivate seeing, to be present for our life as it is, and to learn to do that as a habit to let go of all distractions and to be at peace in this moment and learn to be at peace in all moments as much as we can. So that's what I have to say. Thank you. Do you have any questions or comments? How about? way of seeing our bodies as they are as perfect in this moment you know uh because i think when we try to some ideal body doesn't work and then it's part of the rough divide that we have in the state that it's in especially it's over or an injury thank you for bringing that up as soon as that was out of my mouth i thought

[38:08]

I don't think I have a perfect body. I'm very dissatisfied with my body, and probably most other people are too. But I think you know, as I do, as I get older, that I look back on the body I had when I was 30, which I thought was imperfect also, and it seems kind of wonderful. So yes, it's imperfect, and it's getting more imperfect all the time. I think that's something to work with. I do too. And we can certainly appreciate the good things about our bodies, so I appreciate how comfortable my body often is. And we can appreciate the serviceability of our bodies, the things that we can do with our bodies.

[39:14]

So they are marvelous and they are imperfect. And yes, I appreciate your bringing up that it's good to love them because they're very lovable. Thanks. Thank you for listening to this podcast offered by the San Francisco Zen Center. Our Dharma talks are offered at no cost 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. May we fully enjoy the Dharma.

[39:56]

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