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. My name is Lucy, Lucy Xiao. My Dharma name is Shen Dao Gendo. I'd like to thank Tanto, Greg's son, for inviting me and giving me this opportunity to investigate the Dharma with all of you. And I'd like to express my gratitude for Sojin Roshi and Ryoshin Pohella Roshi. at City Center for their guidance and support.

[01:03]

And also, I would like to thank all of you, the Tassajara residential community, for your hard work, for your care of Tassajara and the guests. for your diligent practice. Every time I come here in summer, I can't help by being touched by all of you, especially on a hot day like this. This morning I went to the Overlook Trail, my favorite here, intending to prepare my talk on the ridge.

[02:07]

I have a favorite spot there. So I took a backpack with a folder and a bottle of water, and I hiked up to the ridge and found the only shady spot. You know all. You know what I'm talking about. There's like one tree on top of the ridge. And so I sat down, opened my backpack, and pulled out my folder and a piece of black paper. And was going to write something. And I... looked around and I saw all the mountains, the trees and plants, and I thought, the mountains and the water at Tazahara are constantly giving us teachings.

[03:18]

What do I need to say or do or talk about? So I put that piece of paper back and put my folder back into the backpack and just sat there and had a silent dokusan with the mountains. For those of you who don't know what dokusan is, it's when you go meet with a teacher, like a big teacher, like Sojan Roshi, it's a dokusan. you receive guidance from your teacher." So I received guidance from the mountains about my talk. Thirty minutes later, it felt like the dokusan was over.

[04:32]

So I got up, and I wasn't sure if the mountains gave me any specific advice about this talk. So I went down the mountain. As I crossed the Tazahara Creek, coming back, on our way back, I remember during the winter practice period, winter 2014, when I was very fortunate to be Shusou here. And I had this fantasy, you know, when the practice period at the end of the three-month retreat, we always had this closing ceremony, the ritual.

[05:43]

And the teachers would give all the students a little... I think Paul always gives the students a piece of paper with everybody's names and some image or some writing. And at the time, I had this fantasy that... At the end of the retreat, I would love to have a little sailboat made with a sail that had everybody's name written on it. And then at the closing ceremony, we would just set the boat down the creek and hope that it would find the ocean. And we had fun talking about it. Do you remember, Greg? Kentoku, the shop, no, he was the plant manager. He said he was going to make me a little kind of boat.

[06:49]

But it turned out he didn't have time. But I felt like I had enough fun already by just talking and thinking about it. So I remember this story on my way back today. And it occurred to me I actually had no idea where Tassajara Creek goes after all these years. So I went over to look at the map. Is Seifu here? So Seifu was there, and we were looking at the map together trying to figure out where Tassajara Creek goes. And I told him I had this romantic notion that it goes to the ocean. And he pointed out to me that we're actually on this side of the mountain ridge. That doesn't look like it's going to the ocean. I was so bummed.

[07:54]

The sailboat wouldn't have gone anywhere. Well, at least not to the ocean, according to his theory. But I wouldn't give up. When I saw Leslie, you know, if you have any doubt about anything, go to Leslie. So I asked Leslie, where does Harrow Creek go? She said, it goes, correct me if I'm wrong, it goes to meet the Arroyo Seco Creek, Arroyo Seco River, and then it comes around and meets the Salinas River, right? And then it finds its way to the ocean. I was so thrilled. Finally. It does go to the ocean. All the creeks and rivers go to the ocean. There is a Chinese saying,

[09:03]

The ocean embraces all the rivers. Well, it actually says a hundred rivers, which the number is just a kind of a expression of infinite number. The ocean embraces, includes, accepts, embraces, contains all the rivers and creeks. No matter where they come from and how far they travel, whether this little creek goes this roundabout way, it doesn't matter. the ocean opens its vast and deep heart to embrace all the creeks and rivers.

[10:18]

I thought about how Tassahara Creek, you know, sometimes it must be kind of a struggle to find its way to the ocean. You know, there are a lot of obstacles along the way. There might be fallen trees and branches and rocks. And... be, might get lost. You know, it's a long way from here to Arroyo Seco River and then has to find Salinas River. I would have gotten lost.

[11:24]

But somehow the creek just keeps flowing and It will get to the ocean. Even if there are things blocking its way, somehow it finds a way around it or through it. The water coming down the mountain and coming through Tassajara. And there are these trees and branches and rocks. You know, they do fall into the creek, right? We see that. Imagine the water comes down, you know, traveling, traveling, and oops, there's a rock.

[12:35]

I better go back, or I better stay where I am now, because it's safer. Maybe this little pool of water is good enough. And the rocks kind of look scary. Big, big. Some of the rocks are really big. The little ones I might be able to. just flow over it, but this one looks really big. Imagine if the water decides to not keep going. Well, it's going to miss its appointment with Royal Seco Creek or river. You know, they are supposed to meet up down. down there. And he's not going to find his other friend Salinas River.

[13:43]

And he's not going to make it to the ocean. That doesn't sound like a very good story. Water doesn't do that. Water just keeps going, you know. Water doesn't hold back. Water finds its way, comes to a rock. It just asks, hey, where can I go from here? Is there any opening at all? Can I find this little opening, or a big opening, and flow through it? Or maybe, how about I just carry you, this branch, I'll just carry you down the river.

[14:49]

We're all going to the ocean together. The water carries this immense life energy as if its only purpose is to go and meet the ocean. Because the ocean is vast and deep. And that's where water longs for. There is something that propels Tassajara Creek to go to the great ocean.

[15:55]

And the ocean takes Tassajara Creek and Arroyo Seco River and Salinas River and a hundred other rivers into its heart. Each of us, there's a Tassajara Creek or other creeks. There are so many creeks around here. I looked at the map and there's the Zig Zag Creek and the Lost Valley Creek and many other creeks. Each of us is finding our way to the big ocean. Sometimes we call this big mind.

[17:05]

Sometimes we call this our original mind, original face. There is something that propels us to go to travel toward this place. Sometimes we may feel that we're not going anywhere or we may find lots of obstacles along the way. Sometimes we have to take this roundabout route, but it doesn't matter. For us who are on the path

[18:17]

We are set on the path by our way-seeking mind, by our yearning to go toward the vast, deep ocean where we all come from. And this journey is included in each creek and river. And it's included in the big ocean. The big ocean embraces and includes all the creeks and rivers.

[19:25]

in its vastness. And we may think that's where we belong to, but in fact, the ocean is also included in each creek and each river. As we are traveling, we already carry the ocean with us. In our practice, in our personal effort in our good days and bad days, all of this is included in the ocean.

[20:51]

in the ocean of no-self, or you may call it different names. And this big ocean, this vastness, The selflessness is also included in each drop of the water in our individual creeks and rivers. about 10 days.

[22:21]

It will be the first year anniversary of the passing of my late teacher of Chinese medicine, Dr. Wang Juyi. I thought about him today and thought about the time when I visited him in Beijing. I used to go to Beijing every year to visit him, and we would have a lot of fun when he was still driving and doing things, a lot of outdoor things. One day he took me to Beijing, to the Great Wall. The day before, Beijing had a really big snow.

[23:32]

So he took me to the Great Wall after this big snow. on this beautiful day of snow covering everywhere, all the mountains. I thought maybe if I mention snow, you'll feel cooler. When we got to the Great Wall, there are two sides. that particular spot. One side is very steep and one side is more flat. And he parked the car and he said, Xiao Xiao. He called me Little Xiao. My last name is Xiao. And Chinese little sounds the same as Xiao also.

[24:34]

So he said, Little Xiao, where do you want to go? Which side? I said, that one, that side, the steep one. He said, go for it. And I'll wait for you here. So I just climb up there and ran down. And he said, great, let's go to lunch. So he drove to this little village on the way back to Beijing. And there's a little restaurant where they serve dumplings, all kinds of dumplings, handmade dumplings. And you can imagine I was very hungry. We ordered plates of dumplings, and I just had very good appetite. And halfway, I was still eating. I noticed that he had already stopped eating.

[25:35]

And then I kept eating. And then all of a sudden I remember, uh-oh, I'm in China. When my teacher stops eating, I'm not supposed to be eating still. So I said, oh, Dr. Wang, I'm so sorry. I forgot my manner. I've lived in the States for too long. I learned, I kind of forgot what I'm supposed to do or not do. And he looked at me and he smiled and he said, most precious. is one's original face. And I just relaxed. So where do we find our original face?

[26:39]

The original face each of us of Tassajara Creek, of the mountains, the trees and the birds. What is our original face? The ocean embraces all the rivers and creeks. Thank you all very much. Is there a question or two?

[27:46]

What about, like, trash in the ocean? You mean literally? And metaphorically? Well, metaphorically, this ocean I'm talking about is clear. and bright and deep. And it takes in everything that the creeks and rivers bring in and transform them into part of this clear and vast and deep world. Anybody else?

[29:15]

Thank you very much. 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.

[29:58]

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