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. So welcome to the Beginner's Mind Temple. And my name is Lucy, Lucy Shao. I practiced here since 2000 and lived here for... about 12 years, and then I moved away a couple years ago. It's wonderful to be back and to see my friends, old and new. When I walked in the Buddha Hall this morning, I couldn't help but

[01:00]

remembering Blanche. Thank you, Blanche Hartman, a very dear friend and teacher to a lot of us, who passed away seven weeks ago, Friday seven weeks ago, and yesterday was her 49th day passing. So I'd like to start my talk by paying respect to Blanche and to thank her for her love and care for us and for me personally. And I'd like to tell you a story about Blanche. So, some of you know, or many of you probably know that Lange had a practice of chanting the Imejuku Kanangyo, the chant of ten-versed life-prolonging Kuan Yin Sutra.

[02:19]

Every morning here in the Buddha Hall, at quarter to nine, is that quarter to nine? For many, many years, every morning, she would chant this and dedicated to the well-being of those who were sick, who were in need. And some people would join her. And Lu, her husband of 60-plus years, was also here hidden in Mukugyo every morning. And Blanche herself continued to... do this practice until she fell ill and couldn't come to Buddha anymore. And so the Imai Juku Kanan Gyo chant was her favorite chant, because it was a chant about reverence to Kanseon Kuan Yin, Avalokiteshvara, Bodhisattva.

[03:28]

And at Zen Center, every Tuesday morning during the well-being ceremony, we would chant this chant and also the Metta Sutta, the loving-kindness meditation, and send the loving and kind energy out to the sick and the beings who are in need. And... So a few years ago, a number of years ago, my calligraphy teacher, Master Chan, came here to do a calligraphy show for a month. So because I knew people loved this Chan, I requested that he wrote a scroll of this Imai Juku Kanangyo Chan. And so he did. And during the show of the month, Blanche would come to the art lounge every day and stood in front of the school and admire how beautiful it is.

[04:40]

And she would tell me, oh, this is so beautiful. Oh, I almost want to get it. And so for many days, she was just, like, admiring it. And then I thought... You know, maybe we should just get it for her. So a bunch of us in the sangha, we put together some money to buy the scroll, and then it was a surprise. So next day, Blanche came, and she saw the scroll with a sold mark. She was very disappointed. I should have gotten it. And then I just secretly smiled. And after the show was taken down, a bunch of us presented the scroll to her.

[05:42]

She opened the box, and her eyes just, like, opened up, and she was like a little kid getting a big Christmas gift. And she was so happy, and I remember how happy she was. And then, you know, some days later, I said, Blanche, where do you want to put that scroll up? And she was like, you know what? I don't want to just keep it to myself. I want to share it with everybody. She said, I want to give it to the Sangha, and maybe we'll hang it in the Buddha Hall. So some days later, it was hung up in the Buddha Hall, and that's the scroll. And that's the Imejuku Kananga Chan up there, and that made her really happy.

[06:46]

So I thought... oh, that's very kind of Blanche. That was just how Blanche was. And being very kind and caring to others and always thought about others. And so in this talk, I would like to talk about kindness. as loving kindness is a very important part of Buddhist practice and also a very important quality that we need to cultivate in our life in general. In Buddhist tradition, kindness or loving kindness is called...

[07:55]

metta in Pali, and maitri in Sanskrit. And it's the first of the four brahma-vihara, or the four immeasurable minds. The four being loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. So I like to... talk about kindness today. And mostly just want to explore what is kindness. There are a lot of formal practice instructions about loving kindness. I'm sure most of you have been exposed to and are probably already doing some of those kindness meditation or practice. But I like to kind of look at it from a little kind of wider perspective.

[09:05]

Well, first of all, in the Buddhist tradition, kindness traditionally is defined as loving kindness as the mode of friendliness. Its natural function is to promote friendliness. It is manifested as disappearance of ill will. And this is the definition in the path of purification, a meditation manual, a classical meditation manual. And I looked up kindness in the language of English. English is my second language. So there's a lot to learn for me. And in English, it says the dictionary. Of course, it's online. It says kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.

[10:12]

And it's related to kin, which means family and kind and the kind and race. And in Chinese, which I'm more familiar with, the word kindness, actually there are many words to describe kindness, and each of them has slightly different shade. And so the first word, I want to mention is ci or ji in Japanese pronunciation. It means loving kindness as the Buddhists use in the form of immeasurable mind. So ci means loving kindness and in particular it's loving kindness from parent or grandparent, a teacher to...

[11:22]

to a child or a student. And it's also used to describe the loving kindness of Avalokiteshvara, loving kindness and compassion, Subei. You know, Chinese started out as these, you know, pictorial characters in Tortoise Shaos thousands of years ago. So in the beginning, the shape of the character had the, in the bottom, it has the shape of, a picture of the heart. And then above this heart, there are two plants growing. So this kindness, character, loving kindness, means that the heart gives care and nurtures life so that life grows and grows happily.

[12:31]

And so that's one meaning of loving kindness in Chinese. And the other character that's often used for kindness is Shan. So Shan is... The picture is a goat on the top and two mouth talking in the bottom. So in Chinese culture, goats or lambs are admired for their quality of being gentle and pure. And it's animal, It's a sign of auspicious sign. So it is said that because the goats, the horns, they grow inward.

[13:41]

So even if they fight, they don't kill each other. But I think they are... pretty nice to each other, usually. So the character Shan means that two people talking to each other gently, like goats or lambs talking to each other. And so there's this quality of being gentle and being friendly in this... character shan or kindness. And so yet another character, which is more kind of used more formally, is ren, which has a person standing on one side and then the number two on the other side, which means two people together.

[14:43]

These two people are together. They like to be together. Why do they like to be together? Because they are nice to each other. And they are kind to each other. And so this character Ren, often used in Buddha names, Dharma names, in Japanese it's pronounced as Jan, I think. It's often translated as benevolence. And it's the centerpiece of actually Confucius teaching, benevolence. It has many meanings in this character or in this teaching. It means that people are benevolent or kind to each other. And first of all, there's relationship. There are two people together.

[15:46]

We are in a relationship with other people. And the meaning of this character also has the quality of being generous and forgiving and also understanding. So it's a very... commonly used character for kindness also. So I can go on and on, but I'm going to stop there. It's just give you an idea how in the Chinese language kindness is described. And so what is kindness indeed? I'd like to share some stories, because I think kindness has many qualities and attributes, and I'd like to use some stories to illustrate them.

[16:56]

I'd like to share some stories from China. I can think of many stories of kindness from here too, but I think I specialize in import-export. So I tell stories of China here, and when I go to China, I tell stories from here. A number of years ago, I went to the Fourth Ancestor's Monastery. The fourth Zen ancestor's name was Dai Yi Daoxin, Great Healer Way Trust. His name is chanted here every weekend, in the Buddha's ancestors' names. So I went to a retreat at the Fourth Ancestor's Monastery, and it was in winter, as in the monastery in China, a lot of them, they don't have heat.

[18:06]

It's freezing. And the day I arrived, It was snowing, but there was no heat inside, inside or outside. And I wasn't very used to sitting in a freezing cold refrigerator. So when I arrived, I got sick. I got very sick the night I arrived, actually. And I was sick the whole time I was there for a few weeks. I don't remember I had ever been so sick before. I had a pretty severe case of bronchitis. And having good health, generally, I didn't think I was going to get sick, so I didn't bring any medicine with me. But when people, when the Sangha found out I was sick, I immediately received like 10, 12 different kinds of medicine.

[19:22]

Well, the monastery was in a very remote mountain area. The closest town was probably, if you drive, the closest village was half an hour away. And in that small town, there was no pharmacy. You have to go to a bigger town. But people gave whatever medicine they had. They had no idea what they were. So I received all this medicine. I'm a Chinese doctor, right? So I was like, what are these? But I was totally touched by how caring they were. And they gave me scarf and hat from top to bottom. things that could keep me warm. And during the break, I like to go to the kitchen to hang out because that's the warmest place. They still use firewood to cook.

[20:27]

They still chop firewood and cook with firewood. So during the break, the main cook would be cleaning up and wrapping things and straighten up things. And he is the nicest man. He had this huge smile in his face whenever I saw him. And he was always very kind and very welcoming. Every time he saw me appearing at the door of the kitchen, he would say, come here, come here. And then he would point to this little stove in the corner of the kitchen and a little stool. Sit there, sit there. And then I would sit down on the stool next to that little stove with charcoal in it. And I would warm my hands.

[21:29]

And he would be very happy to see me doing that. So every break I would do that. I would go there. And I thought, how kind it is. not only my body, but also my heart was warmed. It's very simple. It's not a big gift, not an elaborate gesture. It's just simple as Sit down and sit down next to this little stove. So kindness is very warm and friendly and very generous. This generosity doesn't have to be very elaborate.

[22:35]

This generosity can be very simple. but it's what you're offering is what others need. You understand what other people need. At the end of the retreat, I had not recovered fully, but I was able to function. And in Chinese Buddhist tradition, they often practice making, paying homage to the ancestors, the Zen teacher in the lineage.

[23:37]

And one of the practices they do is they do three bows, three steps and a bow and a prostration to make pilgrimage to the site of the stupa or, you know, a sacred site. So the stupa of the fourth ancestor was built on top of a mountain next to where the temple was. is built, was built. And so the temple is on one mountain, the stupa is on the other. So after retreat was ended, I decided to go up to pay respect to the fourth ancestor, and I decided to do a step, three steps in prostration. And they build these, stone steps up the mountain all the way to the stupa.

[24:41]

And a lay practitioner who I sat with during those weeks found out that I was going to do that. He said, may I accompany you? And I said, yes, of course. And it was still freezing cold outside, of course. And we started to do it together. We started to walk three steps and do a prostration and three steps and prostration. And pretty soon I started to sweat and I had to take my jacket off. And he would take my jacket and he would carry things for me. And then, of course, I was very slow, not being used to the practice and being still kind of sick. And he would go poof, like a few bows ahead of me and then he would wait for me.

[25:44]

And then finally we got to the top together and we bowed to each other and then we did it. But the whole way I just felt the support from him and and I felt I wouldn't have been able to make it without him. He gave me support by being with me and encouraging me and caring things for me. And also, just being together, doing it together, really, really gave me strength And this kindness that he offered was support us.

[26:50]

So kindness has the quality of supporting each other. When we offer kindness, we support each other. And... And these are what we do for friends and how we are with friends, being warm and friendly and being generous and supportive. And kindness can or is or can be very gentle and very humble. Dao De Jing Lao Zi taught that the highest goodness or kindness, here he used the character shan, you know, the character with the goat.

[27:51]

The highest shan, shang shan ruo shui, the highest kindness is like water. shui li wuan wu er bu zeng. For water benefits all. And it does so without contention. So it illustrates the quality of water being good and kind and very useful. But water always flows to a lower place. It always stays in a lower place. And it's quiet, but it nourishes many things. And it does so without having to jump up and say, hey, look what I did. The water doesn't do that. So kindness is gentle and humble at times.

[28:58]

There was a new story in China a few months ago about a waste picker. Is it? Is that the word? Waste picker? Unfortunately, this man was hit by a car and he died. And he became a big story in the news and on the internet. Not just because he died of a car accident, but also because what people found out about his life stories after he died. So they found out this waste picker, this man, while he died, when he died, he was 78. His name was Wei Sihao. He was a retired high school teacher.

[30:04]

He retired maybe 20 years ago. And he started going around and, you know, pick through garbage. And I guess he would take the recyclings and stuff that's useful to sell them. Well, being a retired teacher, actually he had very comfortable income because teachers... In China, they get paid quite well by the government. However, he was doing this to make extra money. And then people found out that for more than 20 years, he was sending his money to the charities to help school children in poor areas.

[31:08]

And he used... a fake name. And people found correspondence between him and these school children from these poor rural areas and that he gave them instructions and encouragement. Not only he sent them money, he also offered his teachings to them. And he lived in very simple, simple apartment with shaky bed and very simple, minimal material needs. And he supported, I don't know, hundreds of children in schools. But he didn't need people to know about him.

[32:12]

Nobody knew. Nobody knew until he died. And his stories moved many people's hearts. It opened my heart. And I think of this man, his life story was a fine example of the highest good, like water. Kindness is humble, yet it can be courageous. In the Metta Sutta, we chant that just as a mother at the risk of her own life watches over and protects her only child, so with a boundless heart that we nourish all things above, below, and all around without limits.

[33:34]

So kindness is the natural state of an open and awakened heart. When it's offered, there's no self and other. When it's practiced in its true meaning, there's no separate self and other. There's just one. Kindness is the fruit of our Zazen practice and it nourishes our Zazen practice. Kindness is our practice. It is our practice. Without it, our practice would be incomplete. if we just sit and without learning how to be kind, our practice incomplete.

[34:53]

There are many ways to practice kindness, and there are formal ways to practice kindness, like the meta-meditation. You can find out in meditation menus. and a lot of sites have audio and video guided meditation. But I like to add to those formal practice that I like to suggest that perhaps we can practice kindness in our everyday life by reflecting how much kindness we have received in our life. Every day, how much kindness we have received, we have given. And we can practice kindness by extending this attitude toward all lives, toward all objects.

[36:14]

for they give kindness back. This morning when I got up, I put on a vest. And while I was putting on it, the zipper got stuck. And I couldn't get myself out of it. And I tried, and the more I tried, it got more stuck. And then I stopped and I remember... oh, I'm going to give a talk about kindness today. And I said, hi, zipper. How can I be kind to you? And the zipper said, well, you have to pay close attention. You have to guide me. Don't force me. So I said, okay. Then I pay close attention. And I wiggled a little, and I found out a certain way that I can wiggle it out of itself.

[37:30]

And then, poof, it came out. And I said, thank you for your teaching. And I left it behind. I said, bye. I don't want to take you to the Buddha Hall. And we can practice kindness by starting being kind with ourself. And Suzuki Roshi, the founder of this temple, gave a talk about being kind with yourself. And his talk was printed in the Wind Bell in spring and summer issue in 1999. So I'm going to read a couple of lines from Su Sui Kuroshi's talk to wrap this lecture up.

[38:41]

You should be very kind with yourself. Do not count your breathing just to avoid your thinking mind, but to take the best care of your breathing. When you have a warm feeling for your body and your breath, then you can take care of your practice, and you'll be fully satisfied. So we put emphasis on warm heart, warm zazen, The warm feeling we have in our practice is, in other words, enlightenment of Buddha's mercy, Buddha's mind. May all beings be happy and free from suffering. Thank you. Thank you for listening to this podcast offered by the San Francisco Zen Center.

[39:46]

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.

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