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. Is that, can I start? Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. It's been a long time since I last visited this Zen Center.

[01:22]

And when I came after this much time and seeing the everyday practice, continuation practice unfolding here, I felt touched, deeply grateful. I am certain that the founder of this community is also deeply grateful. So I attended, I joined your practice of Zazen and chanting of the service.

[02:33]

And at the beginning of the chanting, we had nine frustrations. When I was young, I was okay to do that. Now that I'm aging, I found it a little bit difficult. For the last 60, maybe 70 years, you have been continuing these nine frustrations at the Zen Center. It is indeed rare. I'm grateful for this. It is precious. And congratulations for your Mountain Seeds Ceremony. I wonder when you had the first Mountain Seeds Ceremony here.

[03:40]

When it started for this occasion, did it start when the mountain sea is starting? So this is starting this afternoon, right? Yes, I knew that. But, I think that I was going to do this, but I was going to do this before. I was going to talk to you about this. I was going to talk to you about how to talk about it. So way before this mountain seat ceremony came to this point, before it started, I heard that there was going to be a mountain seat ceremony.

[05:02]

And for me, the mountain seat ceremony already had begun at that point. And I've been deeply... I have to admit I'm still a bit nervous. And I believe it's the same with you too. Long before we had this day, you had already begun your mountain seed ceremony.

[06:08]

Cleaning up this place. Making sure everything is clean. So you had already been living through the mountains. So many. This time I came here and saw the inside of this place. I [...] saw the inside of this place. Before this started, I looked inside the hall and saw someone wiping the brick, being seated, I think, with, and I saw how the heart and that action was so aligned, quietly wiping. So,

[07:39]

The mountain seed ceremony already was beginning, had begun before. And then with the people of this, not beyond this time and place, with all the people who were before us, who had passed away. I thought I'd like to talk about it. It's a question. [...] So one thing I was thinking of sharing today is actually something from Eihei Shingi.

[08:44]

And among this collection, there's a part that's called Shii Shingi. It's the pure standards for the administrators, directors. What it is contained there is the stories that it teaches us, shows us how these everyday things around administration of the community, the small Bits and bits and pieces of these details of the work we do is all a practice.

[10:05]

I'm going to teach you how to teach you. [...] I'm going to teach you how to teach you how to teach you. One time, there was this monk, Hohe, who followed his teacher, Jimeo, visiting various temples in many different places, locations. And he followed Jimeo. Hohe followed the guidance and teaching of Jimeo, following him. But still, nonetheless, it had been really difficult for him to attain some sort of awakening.

[11:05]

So one time he asked, Sohoi asked Jinyo, saying, could you give me more specific instructions, guidance? What did I say? I didn't say anything. At the time, I said, you're a big temple of a church, and there's a lot of people who don't care about it. You [...] don't care about it. So to this request, Jimmy responded by saying, well, you know, you're in charge of directing the community.

[12:16]

You're cunning the director. So, you know, don't get bothered. Just, you know, do your business. Go back and continue to do your work. And that's kind of how bluntly their reply came. But he also said that, you know, please, Don't rush. Take your time. And then when the time comes, you'll be taking care of your maybe a one big temple community when that time comes. Meanwhile, Jimio was visiting this elder lady who was living near the temple.

[13:29]

And whenever Jimio had time, he goes and visits. This elder lady. And maybe some socializing, having some good time. But nobody really knew what an experienced practitioner who's been dedicating her whole life, this elder lady.

[14:31]

So on one rainy day, when Jimeo was again leaving, heading out, Hoei could no longer wait. So he waited for Jimeo to show up on the way. And then, He threatened him, like, you know, you must teach me. Otherwise, I'm gonna... I'm gonna beat you up, idiot. You know, it's amazing how violent the training monks used to be. I think I know some teachers who are beaten up by their own students.

[15:59]

So, you know, like maybe the teacher was also strict and used some sticks to the students. And then also the students used to beat up their teachers. And we don't do that anymore today. When you're very...熱心, dedicated, passionate, seeking for the drama, then sometimes you will cite, you kind of get blunt. So Jimio said, oh yeah, like, you know, if you, if you can, if you understand what it means to work as Kangin, the director, isn't that enough for you?

[17:29]

And before he finished that line of teaching, just before he finished that line, the sentence, Hohe attained a deep awakening. Do you think that it is good? I don't have to think about it. Anyway, I got to go. And I got to go. [...] Okay, so you might be wondering how he attained that awakening.

[18:51]

That's not something you need to know. Think about it. Anyhow, Ho'e stood up right there and offered three bows on this wet, muddy ground. And then he asked this question, what does it mean for us to be facing in this narrow path face to face? And Jinyo said, Well, you're on my way. Could you step aside? I'm on my way. Jimio said, I have to go visit my friend. It was really.

[19:54]

He said, Ho-e was on his way. He said, you're on my way. That's what Jimeo said. するとその意味は分からせてもらったお礼にありがとうございました分かりましたそういう意味で来会をしたなすると So that was his way, Koei's way of showing gratitude to Jimeo doing his bow.

[21:13]

But yet to that, Jimeo in response just said, cut, cut. And then he said, Not there yet. Not there yet. You're not still there yet. That's it. If there's a storm, there's a storm, and [...] there's a storm.

[22:18]

There's a storm, and there's a storm, and there's a storm, and there's a storm. Why don't you pay attention to me? I said, I don't have a teacher. I said, I don't have a teacher. I said, I'm going to go there. [...] I said, So one day, or so whenever he used to Gmail to continue to visit his friend, elder lady, but then one day, it was a day for Shou-san, this whole assembly questions and answers where

[23:22]

But then Hoi was anticipating the bell to start, but he didn't hear the bell start. So he went to ask the training monks, why aren't you ringing the bell? And to which the training monk replied, well, we don't have our teacher. And Hoi immediately thought, well, Jimeo must be with his old friend. And he went to see him where she saw Jimeo lit more fire in the stove. And the elder lady, a friend, was making the rice grill, a porch. But, and then, and he heard Jimmy's friend saying, well, it's time for you to go back to your temple and for this old assembly box, they are waiting for you. Omae san ga watashi no koko roo kaeru gurei no koto wo yutte goran.

[24:27]

Watashi no koko roo hikku likaresu dake no koto ba o haite. Soしたらそれがいい koto wo yutta ra watashi ga kaerou. So de nakatta ra omae tatshya issan no daishu, shijouza, zembu, suki na toko roo yutte shimae. You say, you [...] say, Excuse me, I made a little mistranslation. Oh, yes. I'm sorry.

[25:30]

So the person was saying, please come back to the temple, because the whole assembly is waiting. That's Ho-we, who came to see Jimeo. Sorry, there's a mistranslation there. To which Jimeo replied, saying, then say or proclaim some teaching, something that would... 心をひっくり返す means turn my mind, my heart and mind around. Basically, say something that would impress me to that level. That would change my mind so that I would go back to the temple. Otherwise, all this assembly of monks, they can go anywhere they want. So he then put on this, um, kasa means umbrella, but it's the one you put on a hat, right, kasa.

[26:31]

And then he walked around here and there. To which Jimeo was really pleased to see, which, uh, was something. And he went back to the house and told him to all. And there's a story that he was so pleased that he decided to go back to the temple and preach to Tarun. So ever since then, every time OA or others notice jimyo, trying to sneak out of the temple, or just start wandering around out of the temple, and they start ringing the bell for Shou-san. One time, Jimeo was really upset, or maybe angry, because, why are you folks ringing?

[27:49]

Ringing the bell in the evening for the Shousan, like this time of the day. I don't think it's part of the schedule. And then the monk replied, yes, there is. And so he said, well, it's been the rule, it's been the standard since he was saying your teacher's day, which was Hoei's grandfather. So you are not sure [...] you are

[29:16]

When you look at this story in retrospect, the whole flow of the story, you realize Hoei initially was pursuing, seeking his practice for his own. Then he realized that his work, everyday work, is a practice. So up to this point, the whole purpose had always been about to be convinced to deepen his realization, to deepen his practice for himself. From there, he evolved.

[30:45]

He went beyond that. where he cared for the entire sangha of the mountain, the temple, where in which he would even, he would even not use, but to make his own teachers a means or just kind of, see, I guess to use his own teachers. For the whole song. And this is a story of someone who would later become the Zenji, be called Ho-e Zenji. Shishou no jimio to you show this kid.

[31:46]

Well. Oweo. [...] I don't have a good condition. I didn't see it. [...] About the U.S.

[32:54]

teacher, Ji Myo, he said unkind things sometimes. Sometimes he wasn't really showing the best of himself, the best of himself, rather something different. And that all came from his compassionate mind. all so that Ho-e can be guided. So they came from a bigger mind, and that was a source of all this teaching, the way he was guiding Ho-e. This is a practice of prayer. It's a practice of prayer.

[33:55]

It's a practice of prayer. [...] You practice every day here, whether for your centers, for dojos. And then all this practice has zazen as its basis, its foundation. It is, but then you do cooking, you clean up your place, you do errands, you do all kinds of work.

[34:56]

This is an expression of your mind trying to embrace, include all phenomenas in heaven and earth as a whole practice. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So then, maybe that person is from the United States of America.

[35:56]

It's a person who has a job to go to school, and he has a job to go to school, and he has a job to go to school, and he has a job to do it, and he has a job to do it. I was sharing this story, this Dharma talk at Toshouji, where I served as a seido one time. And I think it was somebody, a practitioner from United States, I'm not sure, who asked me a question. If this is so, isn't it exactly the same with people in general? who leads our everyday life. And the mothers who take care of children take care of these. So you asked me, oh, here she asked me this question.

[37:16]

Why didn't Gmail give them more thorough guidance? I mean, if we do your work and that's enough, I still don't get it. I think there's something not right. So that's what he said to me. It's a little bit complicated, but... It's the same thing. My mother is cooking or washing [...] or washing. It's the same thing. It's the same thing, but... What is different from what [...] is different from

[38:47]

So I have to pause for a moment then. And I wasn't sure how best I could reply. Yes, it is the same. It is the same. When you take care of your family, when you do all this, you clean up, you do laundry, you take care of everyday things. But then there, you have to think, what is that difference? How is it different? And again, as Jimeo instructed us, this is something you have to inquire yourself. You have to feel and then realize yourself in the midst of that. When you talk about samari, zanmai in Japanese, there's a word called Jijiu zanmai.

[40:04]

Freely receiving samari. Thank you very much. If you want to do something, you can't do something. If you want to do something, you can't do something. If you want to do something, you can't do something. You can't do something. You can't do something. The sammai or sammari that I'm talking about here is you do something not for some purpose. The doing that you're doing itself is everything, that purpose.

[41:11]

Otherwise, this doing would not be embodying the sammari. So if you sweep the street right outside of the building, I know people who walk by the streets would enjoy the beautiful view of this building and might enjoy the time as they walk by this temple. It's a pleasure to be with you. It's a pleasure to be with you.

[42:25]

If you do this practice of sweeping, for example, if you do this for your peace, equanimity, for something that fulfills your mind, then it is a total ichigyo. It is a precious, precious practice. I would like to see you all in your work. [...]

[43:29]

When I see everyone here, I see how you engage in your practice, everyday activities, and I can sense, I can see how that is filling your mind, filling your heart, mind. And by looking at that, I can see how the purpose of the Chichi Shinri, the pure precepts for administration temples, has already been fulfilled, has already been fulfilled. As I said before, Ji Myo said this. If you understand the work of kannin directors, wouldn't that be enough? Wouldn't that be sufficient? It was the other way of

[44:31]

Asking, what else are you seeking? Is there any more that you're looking? This is something for all of us, including myself. This is something we all need to keep that. Let it sit in our mind. First time I came to the Zen Center, as I remember, that was right before my teacher passed away.

[45:54]

I think it was 56, 57 years ago. I felt deeply touched to see the people here practicing Zen. That was also the moment I reflected on my self in youth, asking myself, are you doing all right?

[47:05]

Now I've reached the age of 83. You know, when you go beyond age 80, and you kind of start to think of what comes after, follows after. The future, the future. I can't help but then think.

[48:35]

about how much we understand ourselves before we conclude or conclude my life. I've been supported, helped a tremendous number of people through my life, till today. So, in the day of the day, I'm going to say, [...]

[50:17]

Tomorrow I've been serving the mountain suit ceremony at Seido. As a Seido, this role that I play, there's a part I hammer down, the biakutsu, announcement. Let's call it biakutsu. And I say... The king of the Dharma... Thank you. I was trying to pull that out. And that's what I'm going to say tomorrow. Is Shakyamuni Buddha sat on top of the mountain stair?

[51:48]

to preach Dharma, the Manjushri Bodhisattva said, That is the Buddha Dharma. 体感方法。体感 means witness. いや、あれじゃない。これだ。 ご覧なさい。これが仏法だ。 This, or is it that? No. This, look, that is, this is the purata.

[52:50]

Chakuson's教えはこの正真短冊でこの大きな宇宙の天地万物と一緒になって一つになって座っているというこれが仏様の教えである Shakyamuni Buddha told us what is teaching? The teaching of sitting with heaven and earth, all phenomena, together with them, we sit. And there's that. That is the Buddha Tao. That is what he told us.

[54:01]

This is the teaching of the earth and human beings. It is important to all of you. It is important to all of you. How do you feel? How do you feel? I'm sure you all understand this. This how precious, how important this is, teaching is for the earth that we live, for humanity. It is my wish that you will continue to realize.

[55:06]

It's neither swaying to the right, being swayed to the left. And then confirm this through your own practice. 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.

[55:48]

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