This podcast is offered by the San Francisco Zen Center on the web at sfzc.org. Our public programs are made possible by donations from people like you. That was 2018. Since then, according to Wallace Wells, things have improved considerably. great news. He says, and he's not the only one who says this, that we are converting to green energy worldwide at a much faster rate than seemed possible just five years ago. So that we may very well be able to avoid the truly awful outcomes that he wrote about in his book. Now it even seems possible that if we do a little better than we're now doing, we actually could get to zero emissions by 2050, which is the current goal.

[01:12]

And even if we didn't improve and sort of went along as we're going now, we might get there by 2070. And so this is what Wallace Wells, with his guest on the show, a really great climate scientist named Kate Marvell, That's what they were saying in the podcast. Of course, we all know that where there's good news, there's bad news. The bad news is that the negative effects of global climate change are more various, deeper, more rapid, and worse than projected. and really hard to predict the last few years everybody knows have been the hottest ever on earth since we started measuring last summer just this summer now coming to a close people died of heat exhaustion

[02:21]

in Phoenix, or if they didn't die, they fell down on the sidewalk and went to the burn unit because the sidewalk was 180 degrees on their bare skins. But part of the reason for this awful heat is the normal cyclical El Nino effect, which means that in a few years, without El Nino, the heat could let up. And El Nino is a pretty predictable phenomenon. But there are all kinds of unpredictable things that happen all the time that makes things better or worse than expected. And all the models, though they're accurate based on the data available, are always wrong. Of course, one way or the other. This reminds me of an amazing experience I had years ago when I first got a car with a computer in it.

[03:31]

The car was so smart it could tell me how many miles I could go on the amount of gas I had in my tank. At one time I was driving to Tassajara and I was really confident because as I started up the 14-mile Tassajara Road, the computer said I had a range of something like 100 miles, no problem. But after driving up the steep mountain road for about five or six miles, suddenly the computer had a drastic change of heart. And it said, you have a range of whatever it was, 25 miles. And I was shocked. What is wrong with this computer? Why is it so fickle? But, of course, it's obvious, right? Computers will predict the future based on the past. And my computer in the car was accurately projecting a future that would have occurred if the pattern of the past had remained the same.

[04:45]

But the pattern of the past never remains the same. Because time is alive, it's not mathematical, it's living. And unexpected things are always happening to make things better or worse. And we found this out to our great consternation during COVID. We had all kinds of information giving us a snapshot of a probable future based on available data. But it was like your head was spinning because the snapshot is immediately succeeded by the next snapshot because there's more data always, every day. All snapshots are momentary and essentially imaginary. And the more snapshots you take,

[05:50]

the more you know. And the more you know, the clearer it becomes that there's really a lot you don't know. Because nothing ever stays the same. And because nothing ever stays the same, nothing is predictable. That is a wonderful thing, but it's also deeply So on the podcast, Kate Marvell was saying that the truest and probably most difficult thing about global climate change is the uncertainty. And the ability to live happily. in the midst of uncertainty so that you have enough balance to act effectively without freaking out has always been forever an important life skill.

[07:05]

But when it comes to climate change, it may be the most important skill because among the many unpredictable things, the most unpredictable thing about climate change And possibly the most destructive thing about it and the most unsettling thing about it is how human beings and human societies are going to react. So the ability to live happily and confidently with uncertainty is now more important than ever. And this is why we're all here today, isn't it? Because we know that our practice really, really helps us. with this. In Zazen, we are training in the experience of seeing how everything comes and goes always. And we learn to see the beauty in this and not be afraid of it.

[08:10]

And that's why I really believe that just to do Zazen just to practice, is part of what we need to do to contribute to the world of the future. Sometimes it seems like a long time, but the truth is, a human lifespan is quite short. The lifespan of the earth is quite long. The damage that has been done by the burning of fossil fuels will take centuries, possibly millennia, to work itself through the natural healing processes of the planet. And what that working through is going to look like in the lifespan of this or that human generation, nobody really knows.

[09:14]

And no doubt it will come as a surprise. I think we could, with justice, blame some people for this. For instance, oil company executives and their allies who knew the science but willfully obscured it and are still to protect their businesses, dragging their feet, not really cooperating as they should. the other hand, every one of us has benefited by the technological growth and development that has been based on burning fossil fuels. With hindsight, you could imagine how we might have done a lot better, but we were always going to burn up.

[10:22]

lots of those buried dinosaur carcasses and the carcasses of the other 90 percent of species that were suddenly destroyed many millions of years ago when a big meteor struck the earth that catastrophic climate event created a gigantic pool of fossils we were never not going to burn them up to create the modern world but amid all the uncertainty and fatalism one thing is very clear burning fossil fuels warms the planet and warming the planet creates many harmful effects for living things.

[11:24]

So we really do have to get to zero emissions as quickly as we can. And although now no one who looks into this seriously can deny it, still there are a lot of people who prefer not to look into it, who don't want to worry about it, And who would, if they were able, ignore it? I also would like to ignore it. I would love to not think about this. It's not the most pleasant thing to think about, and I apologize for, instead of cheering you up, you know, talking about this grave matter. It's nice to think about other things, right? But we can't. We have a moral obligation to keep the pressure up on ourselves and our friends and through us and them on large companies and governments who can do the most to cause emissions reduction.

[12:48]

And even though going to zero emissions won't necessarily noticeably, in a short human lifespan, change that much in terms of climate, it is going to immediately change things for the better. And everyone will notice. Because green fuel is clean. Fossil fuel is dirty. It ruins the air, the water. It kills a lot of people and plants and animals. So apart from carbon in the atmosphere, a green world is going to feel better, even if the summers are still hotter than we would like and there are still wildfires burning. And we human beings are going to feel a lot better. We're going to be healthier, we're going to be happier, and we're going to be very proud of ourselves knowing we did the right thing.

[13:58]

So what I'm saying is that thinking about the earth, appreciating the earth, is a crucial part of our practice. Awakening means that we realize there is no earth. out there that is not in here. It means that we understand that we and the Earth are one continuous, ever-changing being. And that's why climate change is such a great and noble challenge to our human intelligence, to our capacity, for compassion and unselfishness. I sometimes think that the earth is so wise that she created us for the purpose of confronting this challenge so that we and the earth could be perfected by it.

[15:11]

And although, certainly he never heard of human-caused climate change. The Buddha understood this very well. When he was on his enlightenment seat and was in the middle of his dark, dark night, confronted by Mara, the evil one, who assailed him with his minions of guilt, sensuality, hatchmen clinging, and shouted at him, here are my forces, where are yours? The Buddha responded wordlessly by touching the earth with this famous earth-touching gesture, which is the gesture behind you of the Buddha on the altar. Buddha was saying the earth is my champion the earth is my protector I am the earth and the earth is me and the earth made me to express awakening compassion and wisdom that's why I'm here on this seat and that's why nothing can defeat me

[16:52]

At that moment, the earth shook and Mara ran away. And Dogen's essay called Kaisei Sanshoku, Valley Streams, Mountain Colors, begins with the awakening poem of Su Dongboa, the famous Chinese poet. The short poem. The sounds of the valley stream are his long, broad tongue. The forms of the mountain are his pure body. All night long I hear the murmuring of myriad sutras. I'll explain this in the morning. This poem is saying that the whole of the world, all of the world, but probably most clearly what we call the natural world, expresses the boundless and ineffable Buddha truth.

[18:11]

And the sound of the stream really is when you truly hear it. The Buddha's broad tongue speaking. In the form and color of the mountain, really is when you can see it Buddha's noble enduring body the whole world is a sutra verse after verse after verse and this is so perfectly clear when you know it and impossible to explain The earth is not just stuff waiting to be exploited. A mere backdrop to the human spectacle. This whole bright world is an expression of the deepest and inmost truth.

[19:15]

And that's what makes it sacred and profound. And I think the reason that we in the Western world have been so reckless with the bounty of the earth is that we have insufficiently respected the earth. We haven't seen it for what it is. We've understood it as an object for our use. And in the process, and this is really important, we have made ourselves and one another also into objects. And that's why our individual brokenness, any one of us, and the gross historical and present injustices between us

[20:22]

and climate insanity these are really the same thing they are the result of taking what is sacred and whole including ourselves and each other as partial and profane and this is why we are practicing to heal this terrible, terrible, deep wound to correct this grave mistake. When you think about Dogen's understanding of Zazen, you realize he's telling us that Zazen is the great healing. Because when we sit in zazen with faith and commitment, even if our zazen is disturbed or messy, as it so often is, it doesn't matter.

[21:42]

Just to sit is to enter into this great healing. In the moment of sitting, we are not objectifying ourselves. We're not objectifying one another or the world. We are becoming Buddha mind. The mind of wholeness, unity, sacredness, and love. And when we live a life in which Zazen is central to our living, we're training ourselves day by day by day in this profound view of and experience. A couple of weeks ago, I was in Chicago at the World Parliament of Religions.

[22:44]

And I was part of a group that I belong to called the Elijah Interfaith Institute. And at the Parliament, we created and performed a climate repentance ceremony so we got up on the big stage and did this ceremony repentance is an important practice in all religions including non-theistic religions like buddhism repentance means to recognize errors to deeply feel their painfulness with sorrow and grief, and based on that, to resolve to do better. And there were lots of us on the stage participating in this ceremony. Men and women, clergy, from almost all religious traditions, all of us decked out in our regalia of many, many different colors, from black to yellow to orange to yellow.

[23:53]

gray and every color. But we all had the same feeling for the earth. So I would like to actually practice a part of this ceremony with you this morning, if you would be willing. If you're not willing, you can try to ignore me and just breathe. And it's a very simple thing. I'm just going to read some words. And after I read, it's divided into sections. And at the end of each section, I'll ring the bell. And when I ring the bell, that's a signal for you to return to your body and your breath and just feel what you feel, having heard the words. And the words are all Thich Nhat Hanh's words. We had some wonderful sisters from it.

[24:54]

Plum Village community in our group. And the two of them performed this ceremony, this part of the ceremony, as I will do now. This beautiful, bounteous, life-giving planet we call Earth has given birth to each one of us And each one of us carries the earth within every cell of our body. We and the earth are one. The earth is our mother nourishing and protecting us in every moment. giving us air to breathe, fresh water to drink, food to eat, and healing herbs to cure us when we are sick.

[26:03]

Every breath we inhale contains our planet's nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, and trace elements. And when we breathe with mindfulness, we can experience our interbeing with the Earth's delicate atmosphere, with all the plants, and even with the sun. whose light makes possible the miracle of photosynthesis. With every breath, we can experience communion. With every breath, we can savor the wonders of life. We need to change our way of thinking and seeing things. We need to realize that the earth is not just our environment. The earth is not something outside of us. Breathing with mindfulness and contemplating your body, you realize that you are the earth.

[27:07]

You realize that your consciousness is also the consciousness of the earth. Look around you. What you see is not your environment. It is you. Great Mother Earth. Whatever nationality or culture we belong to, whatever religion we follow, whether we're Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, Jews, or atheists, we can all see that the Earth is not inert matter. She is a great being who has herself given birth to many other great beings, including Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, prophets and saints,

[28:10]

sons and daughters of God and humankind. The earth is a loving mother nurturing and protecting all peoples and all species without discrimination. When you realize the earth is so much more than simply your environment, you'll be moved to protect her in the same way as you would yourself. This is the kind of awareness, the kind of awakening that that we need. And the future of the planet depends on whether we're able to cultivate this inside or not. The earth and all species on earth are in real danger. Yet if we can develop a deep relationship with the earth, we'll have enough love, strength, and awakening to change our way of life. in love.

[29:30]

We can all experience a feeling of deep admiration and love when we see the great harmony, elegance, and beauty of the earth. A simple branch of cherry blossom, the shell of a snail or the wing of a bat, all bear witness to the earth's masterful creativity. Every advance, in our scientific understanding, deepens our admiration and love for this wondrous planet. When we can truly see and understand the Earth, love is born in our hearts. We feel connected. This is the meaning of love, to be at one. Only when we've truly fallen back in love with the Earth will our actions spring from reverence and the insight of our interconnectedness. Yet many of us have become alienated from the earth.

[30:39]

We are lost, isolated and lonely. We work too hard. Our lives are too busy. We are restless and distracted, losing ourselves in consumption. But the earth is always there for us, offering us everything we need for our nourishment and healing. The miraculous grain of corn, the refreshing stream, the fragrant forest, the majestic snow-capped mountain peak, and the joyful bird song at dawn. happiness is made of love many of us think we need more money more power or more status before we can be happy we're so busy spending our lives chasing after money power and status that we ignore all the conditions for happiness already available at the same time we lose ourselves in buying and consuming things we don't need putting a heavy strain on both our bodies and the planet

[32:10]

Yet much of what we drink, eat, watch, read, or listen to is toxic, polluting our bodies and minds with violence, anger, fear, and despair. As well as the carbon dioxide pollution of our physical environment, we can speak of the spiritual pollution of our human environment, the toxic and destructive atmosphere we're creating with our way of consuming. We need to consume in such a way. that truly sustains our peace and happiness. Only when we're sustainable as humans will our civilization become sustainable. It is possible to be happy in the here and now. Bread in your hand is the body of the cosmos.

[33:17]

We need to consume in such a way that keeps our compassion alive. And yet many of us consume in a way that is very violent. Forests are cut down to raise cattle and beef or to grow grain for liquor while millions in the world are dying of starvation. Reducing the amount of meat we eat and alcohol we consume by 50% is a true act of love for ourselves, for the earth, and for one another. Eating with compassion can already help transform the situation our planet is facing and restore balance to ourselves and the earth. Nothing is more important than brotherhood and sisterhood.

[34:24]

There's a revolution that needs to happen and it starts from inside each one of us. We need to wake up and fall in love with earth. We've been homo sapiens for a long time. Now it's time to become homo conscious. Our love and admiration for the earth has the power to unite us and remove all boundaries, separation, and discrimination. Centuries of individualism and competition have brought about tremendous destruction and alienation. We need to reestablish true communication, true communion with ourselves, with the earth, and with one another as children of the same mother. We need real community and cooperation. All civilizations are impermanent and must come to an end one day.

[35:51]

But if we continue our current course, there's no doubt that our civilization will be destroyed sooner than we think. The earth may need millions of years to heal, to retrieve her balance and restore her beauty. She will be able to recover. But we humans and many other species will disappear. until the earth can generate conditions to bring us forth again in new forms. Once we can accept the impermanence of our civilization with peace, we will be liberated from our fear. Only then will we have the strength, awakening, and love we need to bring us together. Cherishing Our precious earth falling in love with the earth is a matter of personal and collective happiness and survival.

[37:12]

So, there is no limit to the caring of a bodhisattva. So let's close today with a moment with a bell. Thinking about what I know we're all concerned with, this great earthquake. days ago in Morocco, all the people who've been killed, displaced, injured. Let's breathe with them for a few moments and then we'll stop. Thank you for listening to this podcast offered by the San Francisco Zen Center. Our programs are made possible by the donations we receive. Please help us to continue to realize and actualize the practice of giving by offering your financial support.

[38:39]

For more information, visit sfzc.org and click Giving. May we fully enjoy the Dharma.

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