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. Good morning, everyone. Welcome to Beginner's Mind Temple and welcome to another day in this life you've been given. We've just spent a week studying with Shohaku Okamura, and he's been bringing up many of the old stories of the Zen masters of China in the Tang Dynasty. And a couple of my old favorites popped up, and I thought I would say a little bit about... Well, in Japanese, they're called seppo and ganto.

[01:02]

In Chinese... Shui Feng and Yentou. I guess I'll use, I don't know which names. But they were best friends for a long time. They grew up in the same region and they became Zen monks and they did many pilgrimages together. I'm impressed by the effort that the Zen monks of the Tang Dynasty put into studying the great matter of birth and death. They walked all over China in straw sandals, climbing mountains. You know, they didn't just hop on a plane and go do a seshin with Roshi so-and-so. It's pretty impressive It's said of Seppo that he visited Tozan on the top of his mountain, Tozan means Mount To, nine times.

[02:16]

So they went on many pilgrimages together and students both received Dharma transmissions from the same teacher. And on one particular pilgrimage, they were snowed in on Turtle Mountain. And Shui Feng was sitting and sitting and sitting and sitting. And Yento was just taking it easy, sleeping and sleeping. resting and getting ready for when the snow would melt and they could get out of there and continue on their pilgrimage. And Shui Feng said to Yento, why are you lying about like that? How can you do that? And Yento said, this place is, you know, we're not going to go anywhere for a while.

[03:25]

This place has really snowed in. And, you know, why are you sitting there looking like a stone Buddha? And Shui Feng said, but I'm not really at rest yet. I don't, you know. And Yento, Yento was very quick-witted. And he said, oh, really? I'm surprised to hear that. Why don't you tell me what you've learned? And maybe I could help straighten you out. And so Shui Feng said, well, when we were with Tozan, and he said this, I got a little opening, and when we were at, and Yenta said, no, no, what comes in through the front gate is not the family treasure. Hereafter, if you want to help beings, let it flow forth from your own heart to cover heaven and earth. And that was a turning word for Shui Feng.

[04:31]

And he danced around the room and he said, oh, thank you, Brother Yento, today Turtle Mountain woke up. And he always gave his Dharma brother credit for helping him break through wherever he was stuck. So what comes in through the gate is not the family treasure. Your mind and heart right now, as it is, is the source that will guide you to how you can live a life of benefit to beings. We've come to this practice because we see there is suffering. We see it on our own lives and in the lives of others. And we want to do something about it. I know I had an ambition to save the world when I was young, and many, many people that I have met, likewise, somehow, even at a young age, discovered there was a need for people of goodwill to do something to help alleviate suffering in the world.

[05:58]

We are born with compassion. What comes in through the gate is not the family treasure. The compassion in our own heart that we're born with, that we grew up with, that we experience all the time when we see someone in need, is our guiding light. There's a website called gratefulness.org It's inspired by a Benedictine monk named Brother David Steindlrest, who used to practice with Suzuki Roshi. And I've spent some time at Tassajara with him. He gave us a talk once talking about Catholic monasticism, Benedictine monasticism, and to a bunch of Buddhist monks, you know.

[06:59]

One of the things he said to us was, well, if I want to love everyone the same, I have to be celibate or very promiscuous. And I was deeply moved by this, if I want to be able to love everyone the same, isn't that an inspiring ambition? intention, goal. To love everyone. To love everyone is inspiring enough, but to love everyone the same completely, not to have favorites, but to open your heart totally to everyone without exception. What an inspiration. Anyhow, on this website, you can subscribe to the Daily Word.

[08:09]

And so each day, some quotation from somebody comes in. One that came up recently was from John Wesley, who, as I recall, was important in the founding of Methodism in the Christian tradition. Anyway, this... Quote says, do all the good that you can by all the means that you can, in all the ways that you can, in all the places that you can, to all the people that you can, as long as ever you can. So little inspirational bits like that come along. And sometimes I save them and bring them down here, share with you. Another one that came up recently that I appreciate. What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity.

[09:13]

These are but trifles, to be sure. But scattered along life's pathway, the good they do is inconceivable. Thich Nhat Hanh really makes a big point in his community of smiling as a fundamental part of the practice. I read one quote that someone, there was someone who practiced with him at Plum Village in France who wrote a book called The Yew, E-W-E, She Was a Sheep Herder, The Yew at the End of the World. But in it, she quotes Thich Nhat Hanh as saying to someone or saying to his community, you know, if I come into the kitchen and you're cutting carrots and I ask you what you're doing, I'd rather hear you say smiling and breathing, Tai, than cutting carrots.

[10:19]

The smiling and breathing should be fundamental with you all the time. And I find, you know, I notice every now and then I'm just blind. Where I particularly notice it, those of you who are residents here, would you please help me in a conspiracy I have to get the people who are standing in the circle waiting for breakfast while the drum is going to To smile. Have you ever looked around the circle in the morning when we're waiting for breakfast? We're about to be fed breakfast. Somebody has been cooking for us. I don't know. This grim Zen look is... I'd like us to make an American form of Zen that's not got a stoic face.

[11:23]

We present to each other the love and compassion that we feel and not the suffering and misery that we feel. I don't know. In any event, please help me in this conspiracy. And if you ever see me going around looking glum, would you sort of poke me? Help me to stop. In any event, these two chums were doing pilgrimages all about China, and they finally ended up with their own practice places. And one day a couple of monks came along and saw Shui Feng's practice place and knocked on the gate. He came out and opened the gate and said, what is it? And the monks were kind of taking it back and they said, one of them responded, what is it?

[12:29]

And Shui Feng turned and went back into his hut. And they left and went along to the other side of the mountain where they saw Yento's place. And Yento had a temple by that time and they were having a summer practice period. So the monks came in to see Yento and he said, where have you been? And said, well, we were over on the other side of the mountain. Oh, well, you must have seen Shui Feng. Yes, we saw him. Well, what did he say? And they told him about their exchange. And he said, oh, too bad I didn't give him my last word. Nobody could have got the better of him. And so the monks were allowed to stay for the practice period. At the end of the practice period, they went to Shui Feng to say, could we ask you about your last word?

[13:31]

He said, why didn't you ask me before? Well, we didn't want to be too casual. Well, he said, Shui Feng and I were born in the same lineage, but we won't die in the same lineage. And as for my last word, just this is it. And Suzuki Roshi, when he was lecturing, I like to bring this up. This is Case 51 of the Blue Cliff Record, if you have interest in checking it out. But Suzuki Roshi lectured on it. And he said... Just this is it should be your last word always. Just this, what's right in front of you right now, is where your life is.

[14:34]

And you should be really awake and aware of just this on each moment. We are totally interconnected with everything. This view of our lives is depicted in the Avatthamsaka Sutra as a vast net, the net of interdependent arising, interdependent co-creation, if you will. dependent co-arising, the way in which everything is affected and is affected by everything else, so that none of us exist as we are.

[15:54]

That's why we say there's no self. The self... This, whatever it is, arises on each moment dependent on all of the causes and conditions that are affecting it at this moment. That's the just this. And so we are all totally interconnected in this moment. as it's depicted in the Avatamsaka Sutra, in this vast net of interbeing, where at each knot on the net, there is a jewel. And each jewel is reflected in every other jewel. And every jewel is reflected in each jewel. This is a way of trying to give a vivid picture of the way cause and condition works, of the way that everything we do has its effect, and we are affected by everything that happens around us, so that this whole vast universe, each being in it is affecting all other beings, and all beings are affecting each being.

[17:22]

And that being the case, we're very powerful. We have an effect on everything that happens around us. And therefore, we want to be attentive to what we're putting out into the world. That's what I'm talking about. Like, the smiling and glowering has its effect, you know? Ah. This wanting to love everyone the same has its effect. Can we cultivate those actions and thoughts and intentions that lead to peace and harmony in the world?

[18:24]

Or do we forget about our effect on the world and just do whatever occurs to us as the most convenient thing without any thought of how it may affect others? You know, this practice and this practice but he had this great aspect of Buddhism that is called Mahayana, or the great vehicle, that developed around the beginning of the common era. The ideal being in this tradition is the bodhisattva. the awakening being whose vow is to live so as to benefit all beings without exception.

[19:33]

And this is the intention that we generate in practice, that all of our actions will be beneficial, that all of our actions of body, speech, and mind will lead to the awakening of others. will lead to others also engendering this motivation to benefit beings. And because we are so vitally interconnected with all beings, as we cultivate this kind of mind, it affects those around us. Each one of us is responsible for the world that we live in. Our mind makes our world. How we see the world depends on our mind.

[20:37]

And so the Dalai Lama speaks of the importance of motivation. He says, the first thing I do each morning as I wake is to check my motivation. Now, I know you've heard me say this before. I bring it up every time because I think it is so important. The verse he uses, he says, is, each morning as I wake, I think today I am fortunate to have woken up. I am alive. I have a precious human life. I'm not going to waste it. I'm going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others. This is very much like Brother David's ambition to love all beings the same, to expand my heart out to others, to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.

[21:46]

I'm going to have kind thoughts toward others. I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can. So can we cultivate that mind? Do we want to cultivate that mind? I do. Do I need to work on it? You bet. You bet. I have some habits of mine that are... Pretty self-centered. Do you? I don't know. It's disappointing sometimes to notice these habits of mind that are self-centered. It's all very well to have an ambition to be a bodhisattva. It's all very well to talk about it. But what am I doing right now in this moment?

[22:51]

to cultivate that mind of a bodhisattva. I mean, what am I doing right now? Everything I do has an effect. Right now, one of the things that is extremely concerning to me is global warming and what we're doing to the environment. in this age of super consumption. And, you know, we affect the world completely in the choices that we make. Everything that I can reuse or recycle or compost instead of putting it in landfill affects the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Everything I do, I need to be aware of. Am I adding to the garbage patch or not?

[23:54]

Am I adding to global warming or not? Every time I take my car by myself when I could carpool or take public transportation or walk, I'm affecting everyone. Every choice I make in how I use energy affects everyone and for generations to come. So it's really important that we pay attention to just this, just this moment, just this moment. What am I doing now? How am I affecting myself, others, the universe? Is this the best I can do? Suzuki Roshi said, then it's making your best effort on each moment forever. So we do the best we can.

[24:54]

You know, from one point of view, we're perfect just as we are. And from another point of view, there's always room for improvement. I mean, the first time I heard Suzuki Roshi talk, he said, you're perfect just as you are. And I thought, well, he doesn't know me. I'm new here. But he kept talking like that. But he also said, Zen is making your best effort on each moment forever. So you're perfect just as you are doesn't mean just sit back on your laurels and don't have to worry about making an effort. It means because you are who you are and you have an awareness of your connectedness with everything and that what you do is important and that you're responsible for how you live your life, that's what makes us perfect just as we are. We're human and we have this awareness. And having this awareness, let's put it to work.

[25:56]

Let's use it to make our actions the most beneficial actions that we can. To curb our inclinations to do something that's harmful. Just stop and breathe and let that urge subside. Don't beat yourself up about it. Just notice it and don't let it drive you to do something you'll regret. Again, I like to share with you every time I have a chance, Covencino's, he's talking about the precepts. And he said, You don't use the precepts for accomplishing your own personality or fulfilling your dream of your highest image. You don't use the precepts in that way.

[26:59]

The precepts are the reflected light world of one precept, which is Buddha's mind itself, which is the presence of Buddha. He says, Zazen is the first formulation of the accomplishment of Buddha existing. And then he said, the more you sense the rareness and value of your own life, the more you realize that how you use it, how you manifest it, is all your responsibility. He says, we face such a big task that naturally such a person sits down for a while. He says, it's not an intended action, it's a natural action. So Zazen is the first formulation of the accomplishment of Buddha existing in the world.

[28:03]

These teachers who have gone before us, Dogen Zenji, Suzuki Roshi, Kobanchino, Shui Feng, Yanto, had great faith in human beings and our possibility for good. And so do I. But we have to be paying attention for this possibility to flower into full flower. And that's our work, is to pay attention to everything we do. How is this thread of Indra's net affecting all those other jewels in the net? If I pull it this way,

[29:08]

Will that help them or hurt them? Just be aware that what you do in each moment affects not only you and your life, but many other lives as well. And how you live can affect all those around you. And it can inspire others to emulate you. And is that what you want to do? Do you want to do all that you can to bring joy to the world? Is that important to you? It is to me. So let's conspire together.

[30:12]

to do the best we can. Every moment, just this, just this, just this. Every moment, am I benefiting beings with this action of body, speech, or mind? If not, do I really want to do it? Can I pay enough attention to how I live my life that at the end of the day, I will really have some confidence that I've done my best to love everyone the same. Or you think of what inspires you. I'm inspired by Brother David and that intention to love everyone the same.

[31:14]

but you may find other inspirations that are more powerful for you. Whoever or however you see someone affecting the world in a way that you admire, study them. Emulate them. inspire others. We do make a difference in the world. Not only we can make a difference in the world, we do make a difference in the world. The question is, what kind of difference? That's up to us. That's up to us. I welcome anyone letting me know If something I have done or said has hurt them, I really want to know and apologize and try to change whatever conduct or behavior has caused that.

[32:29]

Please help me to live a beneficial life, and I'll do the best I can to help you. And let's all inspire each other. Thank you. Thank you for listening to this podcast offered by the San Francisco Zen Center. 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.

[33:16]

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