Good morning, everyone. Thank you for coming to Green Gulch for our Dharma talk today, offered by senior Dharma teacher Adrian under Ruth Cutts. We'll begin with the opening verse. If you can please chant along with me, it should show on your screen. surpassed, penetrating and perfect dharma, is rarely met with, even in a hundred thousand million kalpas, having it to see and listen to, to remember and accept, I vow to taste the truth of the Tathagata's worth. has been a difficult time in our shared lives and a very difficult week for those of us who are living on the West Coast.

[02:59]

And I imagine some of Some of you who are attending the Dharma Talk perhaps have needed to be evacuated or have lost homes, or I'm not sure who's all here, but who might be in harm's way. Everyone, you know, with this blanket of unbreathable air that's been on the coast, in the Bay Area, into Oregon and beyond has been not easy to be with. The air at Green Gulch, we have a sensor. It was in the 300 range. We got that high mostly in the 200s.

[04:03]

And so our Zendo has been closed. You know, we started sitting together in the Zendo, but we're back to sitting in our own spaces because our Zendo is like sitting outside with all the doors and windows open. The day that had no dawn, the 9th of September, when dawn never came and it was like a solar eclipse that lasted all day was so unusual and so strange and no birds singing confusion what is happening to us all I wanted to just make mention of two of the over 20 people who have died in the fires.

[05:10]

Two young people, Josiah Williams, who was 16 years old, trying to escape in his car and didn't make it. And then a 13-year-old, Wyatt Tofte, who was trying to save his grandmother, who couldn't she had a broken leg, and the family dog, and they didn't make it. And the, you know, my imagination of the terror and the horror of these experiences and the grief to these communities, to the families, of course, and to all of us. And So this has been very sobering, has been very, has affected me quite strongly this week.

[06:15]

And right now, just for those of you who might be wondering, the Tassajara fire is, it's not the Tassajara fire, but near Tassajara is about 40 degrees. contained as far as the latest that I've read. So all of this on top of our pandemic practice, the loneliness of not being able to have contact the way we thrive when we have certain kind of contact, and the pandemic of racial oppression and the political situation and climate change. Wherever we look, there are challenges beyond challenges.

[07:18]

However, we can't turn away, you know, our practices. to not turn away, to not avert, but what is our practice in the midst of this? And that's, you know, this talk has not been easy for me to land on what it is that I want to talk with you about. And for me, it comes down to what is the basic practice? What is the basic teaching that we have? back to over and over and over. So in thinking of that, what are the basics? You know, I came up with Zazen, compassion, wisdom, skillful actions, skillful means, skillful actions that flow from wisdom and compassion.

[08:26]

And that, you know, along with that, those basics are listening, really listening, and engaging completely and fully with that which is before us, whatever it might be. Recently, I was at a seminar of senior practitioners that is hosted by attention, Rev. Anderson. And in this senior seminar, it was remembered something that Suzuki Roshi had said when a student asked Suzuki Roshi,

[09:32]

what might be some practices that are more strict that you can give us? And the question itself, I have some comments on, but, you know, asking what we want more, you know, this may be this, oh, this is too easy or something. What would be something more strict? And Suzuki Roshi said, After you use the broom, a broom, when you put it away, place it so that the bristle side is up and the handle side is down. That was his answer to this. What might be some more strict practices that you can give us? So if you sweep and if you know your broom, you might know very well that the bristles themselves are flexible and could break, and how much better to stand it up on the handle.

[10:50]

It makes sense. It's the appropriate response, as someone said. However, where are we? What is it that blocks are seeing that and acting in that way. Everything has a kind of strict quality to it. Ways of relating and that include care and compassion and listening. So You know, whenever I see a broom actually at Green Gulture, I turn it upside down. It's not upside down, actually. The bristles on top is right side up for storage, right? The business side is used for the sweeping, but when we put it away to care for it completely, that might be a good way to handle it, good way to take care of it.

[12:00]

This is very strict. that were actually present to put it away like that. Now, one might say, well, big deal about, you know, a broom or who cares or however, you know, this question, please give us something more strict. Please give us some strict practice. And Suzuki Roshi gave this practice to awaken us, not to be fussy about our broom closet, to awaken us to the details, moment-by-moment details of our life, of our everyday activity, and to be present there rather than on to the next thing, oh, good, it's breakfast coming up, or glad I got that done, or...

[13:03]

our mind leaping, distracted to something else rather than right with this broom in these hands doing this job. So this strictness, can we practice like this is not just for sweeping, it's for all of our activities of body, speech and mind, for our speech, for our conversations, for caring for each other, for the earth, for all the messes that we encounter in our life. What's being called for? What's being asked of us? So this teaching of the broom And there's a number of Zen koans with a broom in it.

[14:06]

This broom, to me, is like a touchstone for all of our activities, large and small. So this kind of activity that flows from kindness, compassion, love, our shared life, our interconnected life. These are what might be called, as Dogen calls it in one of his fascicles, dignified deeds of practicing Buddhas. Dignified deeds of practicing Buddhas. So these dignified deeds or activities are... They're not weighted, you know, certain ones are really important and other, it's each thing has a place, has a way, has the kind of care that it might be calling for, asking for, and to be present enough, not too focused and not too distracted, but some middle,

[15:33]

way of being if we're too tight and focused and wanting to do everything just right and perfect perfectionism um that's that's too narrow too narrow a view and if we're too casual and too anything goes really it doesn't really matter uh we will end up harming others and ourself and our very earth and world. So these dignified actions of a practicing Buddha have been described as awesome, magnificent, powerful actions. However, just turning the broom with the bristles up with care And attention and love is awesome.

[16:36]

Handling teacups, handling kitchen utensils. These are teachings that have come down to us from our teachers. Not to mention how we are with human beings and sentient beings and animals and plants. So we start with what's around us, with what's close at hand and give it our all. However, knowing that too focused is not right and too tight and too loose, too casual is not right. Finding that center in our bodies, in our actions of body, speech and mind. Starting with the body, I would say a settled embodied actions where we are resting in each moment, resting in our bodies, whatever we're doing.

[17:54]

So this quality or presence for everyday life is We can feel it from one another. We can feel when people are resting in the moment right here, are not going anywhere, not trying to get anywhere else, but completely with us and listening and settled in their bodies. We respond to that. So in this... dignified actions of practicing Buddhist. In this teaching, there is no action too small. You know, there is no menial, humdrum, not worthy of attention action. And this is another way of talking about what's called grandmother mind, where each thing is...

[19:00]

is a chance to express Buddha, Buddha Awakening, Buddha Dharma, Buddha's truth, because each and everything is manifesting Buddha truth. So what might be a hindrance to this kind of quality to our actions of body, speech and mind? And there's a story that I wanted to tell you. One of the stories from the transmission of the light, the Denko Roku. And this is the story of the 15th ancestor meeting the 14th ancestor. And the 15th ancestor, when we chant the name of the ancestor, we say,

[20:03]

in Japanese, Kanadaiba Daeyosho, great teacher Kanadaiba or Kanadeva. And in the story, Kanadeva or Kanadaiba's teacher is Nagyajarajuna or Nagarjuna, who is very, very well-known teacher of the Prashnaparamita So Nagarjuna was coming to a village to teach. And at this particular place, there were a lot of... This is in South India. He'd come to this town. And there were a lot of merchants in the town. And one of their beliefs was about meritorious action and the results of meritorious action. So Nagarjuna... gave his talk, and then afterwards someone spoke up and said, for people to have meritorious action is the most important thing in the world.

[21:17]

You pointlessly speak about Buddha nature. Who's able to even see it? So that's what one of the townspeople said. having meritorious action is the most important thing in the world. And you're pointlessly talking about Buddha nature, whatever that is, but you, you know, it's pointless. You can't even see it. And Nagarjuna said, if you wish to see Buddha nature, you must eliminate your arrogance. If you wish to see Buddha nature, You must eliminate your arrogance. Another translation is self pride. So this. I find this strikingly. You know, it really hits me.

[22:21]

The townsperson. I think they didn't think they were arrogant necessarily that this is what they believe and what they believe is. you know, the right thing, and everybody else believes it, and who are you to come and teach something that we don't get, you know. And it's not arrogant, it's just my opinion is right, you know. I think this is a trait that maybe I can recognize myself or somebody else. Some of you might recognize this sense of I know what's best. or my culture knows what's best as a white person, the way I do things or the dominant white culture does things, that's the way to do it. This is a kind of arrogance and I feel very hard to recognize because fixed views or the way things have always been done

[23:28]

you know, why are you challenging that? So this is something that I'm delving into and listening for and studying about how this works for me and how this works for institutions I'm involved with, San Francisco Zen Center and others where the way it's always been done or What I'm used to. Well, that's that's right. So in order to see Buddha nature, you must eliminate your arrogance. Now, it's interesting about arrogance in terms of the hindrances. My understanding that self pride or arrogance is the last thing to let go of arrogance in one's own accomplishments.

[24:31]

one's own practice, fruits of one's practice. You know, to have some pride in that, ooh, wasn't that great. So I think it's not so easy to see, to hear about it and to turn that and let go. Nagarjuna working with the townspeople then spoke more about the teaching and the townspeople had a turn and it said they went back to their beginner's mind. They went back to their beginner's mind. And as many of you know, maybe all of you know, this beginner's mind was something that Suzuki Roshi spoke about as did Dogen and this mind that doesn't know everything that doesn't pretend to know what's best and have the right answer in all the circumstances the mind that's listening as suzuki roshi said you know the beginner's mind is a zen mind is a compassionate mind

[25:53]

that's not quoted all that often that beginner's mind is a compassionate mind i think if we have the mind of don't know or please allow me to listen or what is it that you have to say and bring i want to listen this this is also open-heartedness this is also Being with, not over and above someone or lower than someone, but being with equally is a compassionate mind and a Zen mind and a beginner's mind. So after this happened, the story goes on about Kana Daiva or Kana Deva. So Nagarjuna had this interaction with the townspeople.

[26:56]

And then Kanadaiba came to the place where Nagarjuna was teaching, came to the area. It says the gate, but there wasn't really a gate necessarily. He came to the place and Nagarjuna saw Kanadaiba coming and he asked his attendant to fill a bowl And I picture it as a big bowl filled with water, like filled to the brim. And he brought this bowl and placed it in front of Kanadaiba. Nagarjuna had this bowl brought and placed. And Kanadaiba saw the water, looked at the water, and took a needle and dropped it into the water. And then Nagarjuna and Kanadaiba had a face-to-face encounter and delighted, it says, in one another.

[28:10]

In delight, their understanding matched. Now this particular story of Kanadaiba and the needle has been roaming around in my body mind for years. I've had dreams about this actually Kanadaiba taking the needle and dropping it into the water. So this time What I felt in reading this was that this was a celebration of an enactment of a encounter meeting face-to-face, a transmission between Nagarjuna and Kanadaiba.

[29:17]

And this image of a big bowl of water and then this needle being dropped in it this is i would say this image is buddha nature the needle of the myriad things the phenomena the birth and death of sentient beings the needle is a made article that breaks that gets lost that has birth and death and change and then surrounded, enveloped by, held in water. Water for me in this, you know, metaphor or symbolizing the great universality. So they, they had this encounter

[30:23]

and delighted in their understanding. No words were spoken. And such a small gesture, you know, dignified, awesome deportment activity of beings. So when When the Gartana put the water, kind of put the needle, this was, you might say, inquiry and response coming up together. Those two manifested together and celebrated our life. So one might ask, what is this to do with Anything, you know, this image and story and Kanadaiba had no, nothing getting in the way, the hindrance of his meeting this other person.

[31:43]

This is the practice of compassion. This is the practice of guanyin in Chinese or kanon in Japanese. Kanon. means observing the kan part of kanon or guan is observing and the kanji for that is an eye with like legs feet observing observing carefully and kanon the own part is sound observing sound Now, one might say, well, you observe from the eyes, but sound comes from the ears. But this is this mix of hearing, seeing, responding. Kanon is the bodhisattva of infinite compassion that responds and takes any form.

[32:46]

So right now, You know, I was looking at some practices, centuries-old practices. One practice is 1,200 years old that Japanese women who were in a kind of ethnography study about their Buddhist practice were talking about. And they call on Kano and Bodhisattva. Call on the power of infinite compassion. Because Guan Yin or Kanon's part of this observing the sounds is also hearing the sounds of the world, hearing the cries of the world. And the practice, one of the practices that's mentioned in the Lotus Sutra and other places is to call. Call for help and ask for help from Kanon or Guan Yin.

[33:56]

Now someone might feel like, well, that's superstitious or that's weird. However, we do call out. We are asking in our own way. We need help, all of us. We need and want to be heard and listened to and met and delighted in our understanding with someone. We wish for that. And this calling on Guan Yin, calling her name, Suzuki Roshi talks about growing up in a very poor family in Japan. And he said that the roofs were not repaired and the rain would come in. They would have umbrellas inside the house.

[34:58]

They would have to carry umbrellas. And his mother would chant the sutra, the 25th chapter of the Lotus Sutra, which is called the Kanon Sutra. It's all about... how the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion will, by the power of the Bodhisattva, you can meet adversity, including, and it lists all the traditional things that happen, famine, sickness, fire, floods, loss, you know, being assaulted, etc. And you call on the power of kanon. And she, Suzuki Hiroshi's mother, would chant this. And it's chanted in Zen temples in Japan regularly.

[36:00]

We chanted it at Tassahara during a practice period where I taught the Lotus Sutra. We chanted the 25th chapter every noon service. And that's what his mother did. And Suzuki Roshi, as a young person, felt this is superstitious. Why is my mother doing this? This is embarrassing. And later, I think maybe after she was gone, he understood more what this practice was, what her prayer was, calling upon compassion. And I feel like in these times, How do we call upon compassion? Now this kanon or guanyin, to me, isn't a kind of bodhisattva being out floating or sitting by water somewhere.

[37:03]

This energy of compassion and great compassion is within each of us, is each of us. This is not something... other that somebody else has because you're born with it or something. This is a practice we can cultivate, develop, and bring forth. And this asking for help, calling out is like, you could say it's like prayer, you know, calling upon the great compassion. That is inconceivable. And bringing it up in our own hearts. There's a, in this book about the Japanese lay women who do these practices, the small, it's a small phrase, it's Nenpi Kanon Riki.

[38:17]

which translates as, I call on the power of kanon. I call on the power of infinite compassion. And one can call that up. No, I'm not saying that all that this takes away. these challenges that we have or the pains that we have of all kinds. But I am saying that this is a way to meet, to meet these things without closing down, without leaping forward, without turning away the power of infinite compassion. for ourselves, for one another.

[39:18]

So this is, for me, a way of standing in solidarity with all beings, a kind of anchor or ground that I want to share with beings. And calling on the compassion, infinite compassion means, for me, means listening, listening to the sounds of the world. And that means being open to criticism I might receive, people pointing things out, where i'm holding to fixed views or have self-pride or have arrogance this is my vow to to be present without averting to whatever arises

[40:42]

So in these times cultivating great compassion within ourselves back to the basics, we can ask ourselves, how do I start with myself? How am I taking care of myself? Am I doing... those practices that I know support me? Am I studying? Am I continuing to sit? Am I taking care of the space around me if I'm sheltering in place mostly? Am I resting in the body? Is there mindfulness in the body? mindfulness of the body in its activities.

[41:52]

So there's a quote from Suzuki Roshi I wanted to share because I think this tendency happens. I know it happens to me. Suzuki Roshi said this is in 1966, so This is before having Page Street, before Tassahara. So this is at Sokoji in Japantown, talking with the congregation, the assembly there. Stop comparing this world to the other world. This moment to the next moment. We should live in the eternal present. Here we have eternal life in its true sense. I don't know what this sounded like when you said it, but this tendency that I've noticed to, you know, back when the sun rose, you know, back when the skies, when we could breathe, when you could go outside, going back to that moment.

[43:06]

Or, you know, yes, we do think about... that moment or the next moment. However, this practice of comparing this moment with that moment or this world with that world, that will just leave us going in circles to live in the eternal president. Not the eternal president, I hope. eternal present and then here we have eternal life in its true sense so this to me is another expression of Buddha nature with our own our own body of birth and death completely conditioned subject to change and

[44:16]

old age and sickness and loss, that is our nature. We cannot escape from that. And then to be completely, that very birth and death body, to be completely in this moment, Suzuki Roshi says, is eternal life in its true sense. the basics. Can we come completely into this moment? Opening to whatever it brings and listen. I just want to send my loving energy to everyone and wishes for your good health, for your safety, for the protection of you and your families and your sanghas, your communities and all beings during this time.

[45:54]

And if we stay with it, we will find our way. Guan Yin has a thousand hands and eyes. A thousand hands with eyes on the hand. A thousand of them. that meet us in any form we need. Can we be the form of compassion for one another, for ourselves, for everyone we meet? This is my wish for us all. Thank you very much.

[46:58]

Please chant along with the closing verse. May our intention equally extend to every being and place It's the true merit of Buddha's way. Beings are numberless. I vow to save them. Delusions are inexhaustible. I vow to end them. Dharma gates are boundless. I vow to enter them. Buddha's way is unsurpassable. I vow to become it. Before we close and then move into question and answer this morning, I wanted to direct your attention.

[48:20]

to the chat where I'm posting a link if you feel able to make a donation today to San Francisco Zen Center. We really do rely on your generosity and support. Any size is appreciated and you can follow the link to make that offering. This morning, we're going to do something a little bit different, more in line with our usual in-person gatherings here in our Zendo at Green Gulch will say goodbye. In a moment, I'll allow everyone to unmute if you'd like to say goodbye. And then anyone who would want to stay behind for question and answer period with Adrian Roshi afterwards is welcome to do so. So we'll say goodbye. And then in about five minutes, people who would like to gather for question and answer will do so. Thank you very much for coming.

[49:26]

Bye. Bye-bye. Bye. [...] Thank you so much. Thank you very much. Thank you. Be well. Bye-bye. Thank you. Wonderful talk. Thank you. Thank you so much. Goodbye. Thank you. Thank you. Wonderful talk. Wonderful is right. Thank you, everybody. Thank you. Thank you, everybody.

[55:58]

We'll now have our question and answer period. If you would like to share a question or a comment, please raise your hand. Many of you know at this point how to find your blue hand here on the Zoom. You can find it in uh participants at the bottom of the participants field or on some devices it's in the three dots or more you'll see a blue hand and an option to raise hand so please go ahead and raise your hand if you're not able to find that or want to share something in the chat you're welcome to do so and i can pass that along thank you wanted to encourage people who have not asked a question or made a comment during this Q&A time to come forward and add your voice.

[57:20]

And those of you who've been asking lots of questions and making lots of comments to perhaps wait out. I see Mateo. Hi, Linda. It's actually Deborah. I don't know how to change the name. Thank you so much for your talk.

[58:22]

And I guess the part that really struck me is I've always loved the idea of Quan Yin with her thousand hands and eyes, but I didn't make the connection of it's a way of us to meet the moment. And in that, that's where the compassion is. I guess I'm just kind of saying it back to see if I'm understanding correctly, but that was just, that was so helpful because that space was always missing to me. I saw almost something outside of myself. I didn't realize I did, but anyway, but thank you. You're welcome. I think that image with the thousand hands and eyes all carrying different implements and lassoes and some have threads and needles and all the ritual instruments is really another way of showing and saying. able to help in myriad ways.

[59:24]

You know, it's uncountable ways compassion can meet the situation. And, you know, there's stories in terms of Kuan Yin as being out there, you know, as a bodhisattva out there. There are stories. In fact, in this book I was reading, one of these ladies told his story. She said, Her son was almost hit by a car, but Guan Yin, Kanon, came in front of the car. You know, she saw Kanon step in front of the car and her child was saved. So we have these stories as well. There's other ones from, you know, reputable places where people have these visions and images of an actual being. However, I leave that just in the realm of inconceivableness, you know.

[60:25]

And for me, the image of responding to the world in myriad ways is that we have that capacity and we can wake up that energy ourselves. And as Suzuki Roshi said, if you're too interested in one of the hands, What about the 999 other ones? So it's kind of an admonition about don't get too focused on just one thing, you know, but have this diffuse possibility for all different ways. Yeah. Thank you for your question. I do see Amanda.

[61:28]

Thank you, Linda. I guess I wanted to raise my hand and offer my voice to express something that I often overlook in myself, which is my gratitude to you and to the elders. founding people of our practice in this sangha. And so I want to express my gratitude to the elders who are here and not here, visible and not visible, who have been taking care of this practice so that we can have it at this time. receive it at this time I was also just very deeply humbled around your expression of this practice and I guess what was coming up for me when you were talking about the settling and

[62:50]

sort of the ethics of our practice and being present, there was something that kind of an image that opened for me was this opening, settling, opening, listening, and, you know, being, excuse me, hand in hand, you know, sort of hand in hand in the present moment with all beings and in all that's happening. Yeah, I just appreciate the encouragement to just have that kind of deep faith in practicing. I also notice that the idea of face-to-face has sort of, it's different now.

[63:52]

You know, what is face-to-face? What is face-to-face? You know, when I look at and sort of, regard the faces coming in the screens as this face-to-face. You know, we have this idea of this practice or this way of face-to-face transmission. How is that coming now and how it's just... Yeah, things have changed. I wonder if... I mean, in some ways, you know, the broom, thinking of the broom, there's sort of, you know, hand in hand and face to face all go kind of together. And I don't know if you have any comment on what I'm trying to express. But again, thank you very much. Well, thank you.

[64:54]

Amanda, for your expression of gratitude to the elders and all those people who have supported this practice. It couldn't be the elders by themselves. It was all the support of the Sangha. And not only that, but the conditions in the culture and the world allowed. And those very specific people who, actually, so many of them were there when I came, you know, this January, or actually the end of November 2020 is my 50th year. It was 50 years since I showed up at the door up Page Street to stay. I had been there earlier, but so I'm both, you know, I kind of celebrate that and also feel some, you know, whenever I look at my practice, I see how much more there is to do and to study and to express.

[66:10]

The face-to-face now, you know, I really appreciated your hand-to-hand face-to-face. It's like right now we're face-to-face with this machine, you know, with this Zoom. That's what we're face-to-face with, actually. So Rather than a lack of real face-to-face, it's this is what we've got and how are we most thoroughly practicing with it is a question. Yeah. But that sense of resting and opening and joining hands in suffering actually is one way that we connect with everyone in the world. Yeah. Well, thank you. Thank you for your practice. Deirdre. OK.

[67:19]

Hi. Hi. I'm Deirdre, and I'm in Toronto, Ontario. And I would say that it is truly because of this medium that I'm able to be here with you and reconnect with all of you and with my home, which is San Francisco where I was born and raised and where I have, I do have a lot of my, I guess my heart and my horror are still right there with my sister and brother who are telling me about all the ash that's falling and the day that had no dawn as you so poetically and beautifully put it And I guess from over here, what I'm finding in this Zoom world of Zendo, Zoom Zendos, which I love, is that my own altar, my home altar, has become so important to me. It's become a central place. It's right behind me.

[68:20]

And it's got my Tara, who I love, my green Tara. She's my most super... and my spiritual superhero, but also a Buddha that I got from Paul Haller when I married my husband 20 years ago. And so it's very important to me, increasingly so. And I've noticed your beautiful Avalokiteshvara or Kanon behind you. And it's so comforting to me to see her. Also, I guess I have a specific question about green Tara and then just a general question about altars. in the home right now um my understanding is that tara and her 21 emanations came arose from a tear uh in avalokiteshvara a tear from avalokiteshvara is that and is that right or could you explain that yeah that's one of those the teachings um also that avalokiteshvara i think

[69:24]

Let's see, was there like an emptying of hells and all the beings, and then the hells filled up again, and Avalokiteshvara, who's, you know, kanon in the male emanation, cried, and out of that tear, green Tara, who's a compassion being, right, arose. Yeah. And that... You know, she is very, well, as you must know, if you're practicing with her fast acting, she also hears the cries and she's, we have one in the Green Gulf Zendo, a green tiger. It's not green color, but it's the attributes are, she's in not royal ease, but she's not cross-legged, so she can jump and respond immediately. Tara is known for fast responding. Yeah, she helps. I mean, she saying in a Tara Durrani helps me when I'm about to say something I don't want to say, because I'll just say, oh, or if I'm just getting very tense and tight and I can just if like when I used to drive, I don't drive anymore.

[70:36]

We're still in pretty much quarantine. And I would have that road issue. I would just say Tara Durrani all the time. How how do you do you have a sense now of ways to kind of bring the outside alter my figures and the alter that I find so comforting. What I do is I visualize them kind of being around me. But I feel like I want to carry this with me all the time. Is there a way that you can that you practice with that? Well, you know, I recently had a discussion with someone who leads a small group not in the United States. And this person was telling me that even people have been practicing in this person's group for decades do not have home alters. And we're discussing this. This was actually yesterday. What the importance of a home altar is and how someone may not want to. And I think for some people who grew up where you don't have images, there's trauma around that to have images in your home.

[71:43]

Or if you grew up with lots of images, Maybe it's trauma in another way. Anyway, so the fact that it arose in your body-mind to have a home altar and that it's an active altar, it looks like you have fresh flowers. For my garden. Yes. So that's one of the things about having an altar is the caring for the altar. The caring for the altar allows it to come alive. You know, you could have the most beautiful figure if it's sitting there dusty with dead flowers. you know, it doesn't awaken that practice heart, you know. But to have a well-cared-for, and Oksan, Suzuki Roshi's wife, you know, if you gave her a gift, she would say, thank you very much, and put it on the altar. She never opened it up right then. First went to Buddha. So the altar can function as...

[72:44]

a place to express gratitude, to express happiness, to express grief and mourning. It can be quite active in the way that you personally want it to be. And those figures, as you know, are their artists' representations of the energies of wisdom and compassion that are in that you are. It's not even that you have, that you are and have the capacity. express. And then we have these practice figures to remind us and help us and focus our remembrances. So those are a few things about altars. Yeah, caring for your altar, dusting, fresh flowers. Thank you. It becomes the center of the room. Yeah, wherever. Yeah. thank you thank you thank you let's see um judith sorry okay there thank you so much and uh

[74:09]

love what you just said too so thank you Deirdre so I as you were talking about the water and the needle I was I had confused mind like would you sort of expand on what the needle is You know what I'm saying? Yeah. I just, yeah. Just to let everyone know, Judith here sewed for me the most beautiful rock suit. The rain stitch that had, I'm not wearing it, but... tiny stitches in a shirt from Goodwill that she found and dyed and strengthened with tiny little stitches and then put the strips on top.

[75:25]

Anyway, thank you. Thank you, Judith. And a lot of help, Linda. A lot of help. And a lot of help. Okay. Another thing about needle, just to say it is because Deirdre brought up Tara There is an emanation of one of the 21 emanations of Tara called Marichi. It's another Tibetan deity. And this figure carries a needle and thread. And this needle and thread that's part of the two-armed figure has needle and thread to sew up our cares and to... create a bag where we can put all these things. Anyway, there's a, so this needle keeps coming up for me and it just came up as part of Tara's work, sewing up our cares and woes.

[76:26]

So the needle, I mean, I don't know if I can, the image, and this is why it's been turning in me for all these years, this image of the bowl of water And he dropped a needle in it. So a needle is, it doesn't float. It's not floating on the top. It goes down and in and is interfused or completely surrounded and held by the water of water. You could say the absolute, let's say, or emptiness. And yet there is form that form and emptiness are two sides of one coin. So this image of water with a needle in it, it is like form and emptiness as one, not two, not one.

[77:33]

Okay. For now? Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for your question. Someone is on an iPhone, but I don't see a name. I think that is me. Oh, okay. This is, can you hear me? Yes. Okay. This is Mary Ann. I usually see you in Tassajara, and I would have seen you this year, but the quarantine prevented it. So I'm speaking from Venice, California. And I am thinking of how, besides the fact that if you magnetize the needle and put it in water, it becomes a compass. which leads you yes if two ways you might want to go but um i'm thinking how the right thing may appear at the right time and last night i was reading a poem in an issue of lion's roar and i'm going to hold it up and maybe you can see it it's a poem about kuan yin

[79:04]

Yeah, we can't see it. I can't see the poem, but I can see Kuan Yin. It's a very large figure, it looks like. If I may, it's a short poem. May I read it? Yes, go right ahead. Maybe that will be, just looking at the time, maybe we'll end with Mary Ellen's poem. Okay. And just to say before we... necessarily and that there were a couple other questions of folks who couldn't raise their hands. Oh, okay. Well, let's hear the poem and then we can take those questions too. This poem is titled Quan Yin by Laura Vargas from a book called An Animal of the Sixth Day. Of the many Buddhas I love best, the girl, who will not leave the cycle of pain before anyone else.

[80:11]

It is not the captain declining to be saved on the sinking ship who may just want to ride his shame out of sight. She is at the brink of never being hurt again, but pauses to say, all of us, every blade of grass, she chooses to live in the tumble of souls through time. Perhaps she sees spring in every country, talks quietly with farm women while helping to lay seed. Our hearts are a storm she trembles at. I picture her leaning on a tree or humming or joining a volleyball game on Santa Monica Beach. Her skin shines with sweat. The others may not know how to notice what she does to them. She is not a fish or a bee. It is not pity or thirst. She could go, but here she is.

[81:15]

Thank you very much. What a wonderful poem. Who is the author again? The author is Laura Fargas, F-A-R-G-A-S. It is from her book, An Animal. of the sixth day, and it is in the current May 2020 Lions Roar magazine. It is the last page of the magazine. Thank you. Thank you. It's a perfect poem for today. Thank you so much. Take good care. So you want to help me with the other? Chindo had a question. Okay. Thank you, Roshi, for your talk. Appreciate it. Deep gratitude. You're welcome. You mentioned in your talk about eliminating arrogance or self-pride in order to see Buddha nature.

[82:27]

So I'm wondering if you had any suggestions on how one could work on it. What a great question. Thank you. Well, for example, in situations, this is how I'm working on it, situations where I feel like this is the way things are, I question. you know, is very helpful sometimes in another culture. I know, like when I was teaching in Mexico and sitting Sashin, the leader of the group there said, even though the schedule said it was going to start at 7.30, he said, I'm so sorry. It's probably going to, people will show up about 7.45 and maybe we'll get going at 8.

[83:29]

Now, from a Zen, you know, schedule, bell starts, you know, that I can imagine someone or even me at some point feeling like that's the way it should be. But I think what this teacher was, the guiding teacher of this group was saying, this is our culture and everybody knows it doesn't start at 730. So for me to feel like, well, Linda knows best and it should start on time. And we, you know, because the whole schedule is going to be off. That's a kind of arrogance that I caught, you know, because of the cultural difference, you know. But that kind of fixed belief that I know what's up and I know how it's supposed to be. I... Not that it's not okay to have confidence.

[84:33]

That's fine. However, there might be a clinging or an extra like holding to it that I've got the real story or I've got the I know what's going on or something. So to have confidence and put it out and express it and then for me to be really open to hearing other ways. I never thought of that. You know, that to me kind of melts away. And also, as I said, melt away, I thought melts away the root of transgression by the power of our confession, which I think is true. Being willing to say, you know, I was off or I never thought of that or thank you for pointing that out. You know, that kind of that also works with a kind of modest, humble, meaning close to the ground way of being.

[85:33]

So those are a couple of things. You are a seasoned practitioner of 50 years or more. But people, you know, people like us who are just still on the path, we are prone to such situations. And so, right, like, yeah, I'm just wondering. We don't catch it as easily as you did. I think arrogance, as I was saying, pride is the last thing to go. You know, I don't think it's just with newer students. You know, I feel like this runs through everybody, you know, has that kind of tendency. Yeah. So I think wanting to look at it and also it's hard to see because we actually believe this is the way things should be.

[86:36]

And, you know, so to loosen that a little bit and ask, am I missing something? How would you do it? You know, those kinds of things. Thank you so much for your question. Thank you. I appreciate you. Linda, two comments in the chat, if I may. One is a question, if you could share the title of the book you were reading about Kuan Yin, or perhaps about the practices of Kuan Yin. Yes, it's Paula Arai. Let's see, is it under here? Let's see. Bringing Zen Home, The Healing Heart of Japanese Women's Rituals by Paula Arai. Can you see that? Is that? Can you see it?

[87:38]

Hello? Yes. Okay. So bringing Zen home. It's absolutely fascinating, some of these practices, and they certainly have home altars. that the women who were interviewed for this, that they are very actively involved with bringing food to ancestors and a part of the Japanese culture. But I think these practitioners really have an active daily practice with their alters. Yeah. And then the last question maybe you've addressed, but... Thank you so much for your words. Would you please speak further about Nagarjuna and what drew you to his story today? I don't know if I can answer that.

[88:44]

I feel like this particular story of the needle In the bowl of water, that image, I think this happens to me sometimes, there's some image in the stories that goes very deep and I end up working on it in a not so conscious way. It's like I turn it and then at a certain time it arises and I trust that. Sometimes it's a little too raw to share. I'm not sure it's ready to kind of bring out and talk about with people. I wasn't sure about this. So yeah, I think it's the power of story and image that speak to my particular karmic consciousness.

[89:49]

I guess that's all I can say, really. Yeah. You know, when I looked at the story in different translations, there's a new translation of Denko Roku, or Transmission of the Light, put out by the Sotoshu. It was a huge translation project, two volumes that have many, many footnotes. They looked up and found parts of these stories that were actually quotes from Chinese texts. And using computers and all, they were able to find the primary information. And so it's quite an amazing text. So I was looking at this new translation, compared it to some other ones, and there was a difference in the translations. And some translations had Nagarjuna putting the needle in.

[90:51]

But this most definitive translation has Kanadaiba, which is the way I heard it originally, dropping that needle into the water. And I guess my question is, for you who asked the question, has that, you know, have you been hooked? by this story or this image. In the poem, it says the fish hook of the needle. I don't have it in front of me, but so there's something about this that can grab us, hook us to study more. Yeah. OK. Well, thank you all very much. Can you see me? I can only see the Zendo event. slide um let's unmute maybe and um yes everyone can unmute thank you so much thank you so much that was wonderful thank you thank you linda thank you

[92:11]

Thank you, Linda. Thank you, Fred. Heart filled with gratitude. Thank you. I'm going to dust my altar. Thank you so much, Linda, and all of you for contributing. Thank you. Thank you, everybody. Thank you so much.

[92:37]

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