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. I'd like to begin by thanking and acknowledging my teacher, Sojin Mel Weitzman Roshi, and by saying that my talk is just to encourage you in your practice. I have a pretty clear idea about maybe I should say I had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted to talk about what I wanted to share with you this morning I want to talk about the benefit of Zen and then my notes are

[01:28]

say a few things like dandawa, virya, zazen. Apparently I'm going to talk about zazen. However, things happen, life happens, and it would be very weird for me to not talk about what's happening. Paul always says what's happening now and what does it mean to practice with it. Tassajara used to be more behind the news cycle, but I know that many of you are already aware that what happened yesterday in Paris, France, this terrible, terrible tragedy.

[02:39]

What do we know about it? Please. terrorist attack in the heart of Paris for which the Islamic State is taking responsibility that happened in various places with great intensity and coordinated attacks in various places in the center of Paris for the maximum effect and basically many armed people slaughtering many innocent people enjoying themselves in restaurants and concerts about 127 people known dead many many more wounded many critically wounded so the death count will

[03:58]

continue to go up. I know that this is affecting, this is very close to home for people here. Paris is a very cosmopolitan city and so is Tassajara. All of us are sitting in a very stable posture. You know, sometimes when people are calling you with bad news, or you might see in a movie, they'll say, are you sitting down?

[05:02]

I have some bad news. Are you sitting down? This posture lends the support, lends the ability, the stability to take in what is very very difficult to take in. The central benefit of Zen in the context of the ordinary ups and downs of life is not to prevent the minus and promote the plus, but to direct people to the fundamental reality which is not under the sway of ups and downs.

[07:13]

That's from a famous, very famous in Japan, very revered Zen teacher in Rinzai tradition named Musou Soseki. So yeah. the ordinary ups and downs of life includes great tragedy, includes accepting what is impossible to accept.

[08:28]

central benefit of Zen in the context of the ordinary ups and downs of life is not to prevent the minus and promote the plus, but to direct people to the fundamental reality which is not under the sway of ups and downs. This, I believe, is what we're really practicing here. Just to say a little bit more about Musa, I found that quote in an old copy of The Wind Bell from 1987. There were some translations that the Cleary brothers were working on. Just an example of three, samples of three things that Thomas and Christopher Cleary We're working on translations from Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.

[10:21]

So the Japanese is this teacher, Muso. His name is one of the best Dharma names I've heard in a long time. Muso means dream window. And the quote is from this writing that he left us. called the dream dialogues. Mucho mondo. But there's nothing dreamlike about it. Musou was frequently in the court of the shogun. And I imagine the shogun saying, don't give me any of that fancy Zen stuff. Just lay it out plain and simple. I don't know why I imagine the shogun as talking like a Texas politician, but somehow that's how I hear it. So the dream dialogues are very straightforward.

[11:23]

So what is the benefit of Zen? Well, let me tell you. It's my intention to memorize that. Next time somebody asks me, I'm just going to rip it off. Hey, I'll tell you what. direct people to the fundamental reality which is not under the sway of ups and downs. So, this practice period, we are studying Bendawa, a talk on wholehearted practice of the way. Ben means bringing everything to the fore. Giving it all you've got. Completely. Wholehearted practice.

[12:28]

Practicing with your whole body and mind. And the Do is, as we know, the Tao, the way. It can mean a lot of things. It can mean enlightenment, it can mean the path, it can mean the fundamental reality which is not under the sways of ups and downs. So it's a talk on practicing that with your whole body and mind. Committing to that with your whole body and mind. Not holding anything back. Great.

[13:45]

is the matter of birth and death. Impermanence surrounds us. Be awake in every moment. Do not waste this life. Confronted with that, The question is how. The practice of virya, energy, is one of the six perfections, right? I'm just going to assume that most of you, at least, are familiar with the six perfections, the paramitas, generosity,

[14:50]

ethical behavior, tolerance, energy, zazen, and wisdom. Practice of these perfections. Virya is kind of interesting. If it just means bringing more energy, being more energetic, being as energetic as possible. Maybe I should be drinking those energy drinks all the time. Maybe not. It's something I've been thinking about for a while. another in the context of virya paramita, the practice of the perfection of energy.

[16:08]

It is also understood and taught as persistence. sticking with it, staying with the practice, staying with the practice within the context of the ordinary ups and downs. So a three-month ongo is really good for investigating that because I think for most people, It's just long enough and difficult enough, and it's most definitely supposed to be difficult, that there's going to be opportunities, there's going to be times when you're disgusted, fed up, exhausted, overcome by corrosive doubt, convinced that this is stupid.

[17:24]

What did I ever come here for anyway? And a chance to experience that to the very bottom and wake up the next morning to the sound of the wake-up bell and the Han. And just do it anyway. That's the opportunity. There's a power there that is Unbelievable. Very hard to talk about. And it has to do with Sangha, for sure. We do this for each other. I am so humbled to be practicing with all of you. I am so inspired by practicing with all of you.

[18:28]

It makes me think of the Tangaryo cohort at the beginning of the practice period. The 20 of you, the way you supported each other. Coming in the Zendo, you could just feel that strength. Coming in the Zendo this morning, I could feel that strength. I pretty much always feel that strength. And my teacher, Mel, has been telling me for years, I like your energy and you have to work with it. So, how do we channel the energy? How do we

[19:32]

Bring everything to the fore. Practice with our whole body and mind when we're not feeling it. When it's really difficult. So I've been told that zazen is the front gate of Buddhadharma. This noble posture

[20:37]

In yoga, you could understand it as a heart-opening pose. And our practice is completely a yogic practice. Our practice is completely body practice. So when you sit, lift up in the sternum. be open across your collarbones. Feel the separation in your vertebra as though someone had a string attached to the back of the crown of your head and was lifting it straight up. As though the Buddha, in her tender mercy, or Prajnaparamita has got her hands under your heart.

[21:53]

She's holding your heart like this and gently lifting. Gently lifting. This is, as Dogen says, beyond all human agency. It's a mysterious thing to talk about. And yet, I believe you know what I'm talking about. When we bring ourselves to the cushion, when we bring our bodies open, exposed, vulnerable, Yunmen says, body exposed to the golden wind.

[22:55]

It may feel risky. You might find yourself doing that. That's a very subtle difference. Even more subtle, just... difference between this and this. This is like, hmm, not yet. Or, not so much. No thanks. I understand that. I know that one. Or, closing my eyes. If I'm quiet enough, if I'm settled enough, I can actually be aware of There's a thought, I'm going to check out now. Bye-bye. I've had enough for now. But the power of this noble posture brings us back.

[24:07]

It is beyond all human agency. Suzuki Roshi told Blanche, it's a big mistake to think that you, Sid Zazen, Zazen sits Zazen. Please trust it. Please trust your practice. Please trust your experience. My favorite koan of all time, many of you know, is a 20th century koan.

[25:28]

Mel was in the hallway at 300 Page Street, and Suzuki Roshi walked up alongside him and said, you know, just to be alive is enough. That was it. For me, it starts with appreciation and gratitude. I spoke about this the last time I gave a talk at the end of the guest season. The Buddha said, to appreciate this human life is as rare as finding dirt on the back of your fingernail. What a strange image that is. Well, I guess that is rare.

[26:35]

Dirt under my nails? That's not so rare. I got dirt under my nails sometimes. Yeah, it doesn't stick there. I guess that's the point. We forget. We forget over and over again how rare and beautiful this gift of human life is. And then quite often, maybe more often than we're up for, things, events come along and smack us in the face to remind us but no need to wait practice now practice as if to save your head from fire

[28:00]

this appreciation, this engagement with what's happening now, I could liken to the practice of suchness. When Paul invited me to speak in the last session, I said, what's the difference between being in a rut and being in a groove? So maybe this morning I would say the difference between being in a rut and being in a groove is appreciation and gratitude. Right now, what I'm appreciating most is the precious opportunity to practice with all of you.

[29:38]

I'm appreciating the great virya in this practice period, the great joy in this practice period. leaving with Linda these past three days. We went to Santa Cruz, where I gave the talk Wednesday night, and City Center the next day for meetings all day, and then Green Gulch for the Applications Committee. So amazing. driving back late last night, we got in at 10.30 last night, driving back with the dry goods and our abiding teacher, whom we left in Jamesburg, we stopped for dinner.

[30:46]

And I said, if it's true what they say, that love... Heartfelt human connection are what keep us alive and supports long life. I may live forever. I'm just saying, I've been hugged a lot in the last three days. And I gave a lot of hugs. This is how we're fighting the war on terrorism. Make no mistake.

[31:48]

Right here in good old Tassajara. Hatred never ceases by hatred here below. Hatred ceases by love. This is an eternal law. Shakyamuni said that. Old man Shaka-sama. So you may think the practice period is half over, but that's kind of a story.

[33:05]

This moment now is what's given to practice, only and ever. In Santa Cruz, I gave a talk about Mel, actually. I'd never done that before. My whole talk was talking about my teacher, Sotun Roshi. And the Shuso graciously let me prepare for my talk by reading Mel's Shuso log from 1970. The Shuso has all the Shuso logs in Tazahara history. And Mel practiced Iwo Shuso under the leadership of Tatsugami Roshi, Ino from Aheji Temple, Suzuki Roshi invited over here to help us with forms, and was very taken by Tatsugami Roshi's emphasis on this Japanese concept, menmitsu no kafu, which means basically taking care of what's in front of you.

[34:19]

careful attention to detail as our family way, our way of practice. And he wrote in the Shiso log it means bringing each moment to life. That's pretty good. So let's do that. Let's bring each moment to life, to our appreciation, to sharing love, to supporting each other. Trust Zao Zen.

[35:26]

Trust your practice. Trust your experience. I think that's I've covered everything I wanted to say. The benefit of Zen. It's the difference between being in a rut and being in a groove.

[36:35]

Somebody asked me if that was a lyric from a funk song. I said, no, but it could be. So I wanted to finish with a Seamus Heaney poem. Psych. No, I'd like to finish with a poem, though, by a great teacher, Dream Window, Musou. And the name of this poem is It. The poems were translated by W.S. Merwin and...

[37:40]

Japanese gentleman named Soiku Shigematsu It If you were here last summer I talked about it It's another expression for suchness Inmo Like that I don't want to get too much into that but So you know the title is another way of saying suchness. This really reminds me of Tassahara. One by one, many leaves the colors of autumn let go of their twigs and fall.

[38:43]

A cold cloud full of rain passes above the hollow of the mountain. Everyone alive is born gifted with true sight. How do you see these koans with your own eyes? Want to hear it again? It. One by one, many leaves the colors of autumn. Let go of their twigs and fall. The cold cloud full of rain passes above the hollow of the mountain.

[39:53]

Everyone alive is born gifted with true sight. How do you see these koans with your own eyes? Just to be alive is enough, you know? All of us are gifted with true sight. Please see these koans with your own eyes. Your own eyes. Trust your practice. Trust your experience. Okay. Now I'm definitely done.

[40:59]

But if somebody wants to ask a question or share, I want to acknowledge that what I brought to the talk, the heaviness, the tragedy, Whatever lack of skill I had in talking about it, I apologize. I thought it would have been pretty weird to not talk about it. So, also, if anyone wants to share their feelings about that, every

[42:05]

Dharma talk is also kind of a community meaning. So. I feel pretty anxious about getting out of this Dharma talk so I can make some fun calls out. Excused. And I also, I just want to say to James, who, I'm guessing, I don't know if this could be, but someone, that someone announced that. Yeah. I checked in with James this morning. He's one of the people who already knew from yesterday. And we will be having a well-being ceremony this evening for the victims, the survivors, their families. And then any other name you care to add, of course.

[43:21]

Yes? So two things. My first day here, as you know, was September 11, 2001. So I want to say that I honor the art practice that continued that day and continues to this day. and the way that practice has been held here with both trust and faith and genuine questions about what it is that we're doing here in the world of violence. Both of those things held equally. And then I want to ask my old friend a question. You and I have spoken of veria, koan of veria. many times over the years. And this morning when we were chanting, and I chant this every day when I'm not here, but only every five days when I'm here, let one be strenuous, upright, and sincere.

[44:33]

And every time I chant it, I think, nope, that's not it. So I wonder, since your teacher gave you this challenge, work with this great this maha-prana great life force that you were gifted with, what have you learned from working with that? About that much restraint. I mean, that's what he's talking about. and he says, and you have to work with it. I wanted to know about your eyes. You wanted to know what? About your eyes. My eyes. With my eyes, I continue to study cause and effect.

[45:42]

And... Take responsibility. Strenuous, upright, and sincere. Taking responsibility for my mistakes. Studying. When is it encouraging? And when is it too much? No thanks, Tonto-san. Right?

[46:49]

Yeah. Well, that's what I got right now. Yes. I asked Ancient Roshi one time, he was talking about karma and so on, and he said something to the effect that we're responsible for anything that happens in the world. So, I followed the question. I said, so take two examples. act of war or individual learning? Are we responsible? He said yes. Would you like to elaborate? Not Tension Roshi. Well, I know. What's you?

[47:52]

Are we responsible for what happened? I would like to refer you a beautiful poem by Thich Nhat Hanh. Do you know it? Please call me by my true names. Hmm? Hands. Okay. So this poem I haven't memorized it but Thich Nhat Hanh the great teacher, says, I am that person. Because we live within the truth of dependent origination. We can't escape.

[48:53]

We can't say, oh, We're pure over here. Like people often accuse Tazahara of being some kind of ivory tower, some kind of escape. Sometimes people come to Tazahara thinking they can practice that way. And then they find out they brought the whole world with them. Thich Nhan says, I am the innocent child among the boat people, and I am the pirate who throws the child overboard, and I am the person who was blown up by the landmine, and I am the arms merchant who sold the landmines.

[50:02]

We are all involved. We are all inextricably apart of everything that's happening. We cannot escape that. We need to own it. So there is no individual responsibility? Of course there's individual responsibility within the context of So, you know, another... I don't want to get too explainy, but I've said it before, American Zen is explainy Zen. So, another way of understanding the word paramita is crossing over. connection between the absolute and the relative between samsara and nirvana connection and integration so shila is one of the paramitas the practice of the perfection of morality of taking responsibility for your behavior is one of the paramitas because we are

[51:34]

inextricably involved because my actions affect what is happening within the world of samsara within the world of up and down and good and bad I take responsibility because I'm involved because I can't escape I can't go to some place of purity Anyway, that's all I understand it, Mohammed. Thank you. My pleasure, Cormet. You were talking about hugs, and even hugs sort of as a response to war, a response to the terrorists, and that love that signifies and engenders as a response toward it.

[52:35]

It made me think about hugs here, at Tassajara. practice period I have been so sensitive at times I felt if I didn't get a hug I was going to scream and I have felt so sensitive at other times that if someone so much just touched me I was going to scream and so I think especially because of my experience with that latter part I've been very reticent to engage with physical contact of almost any kind here That kind of seems to be, with rare exceptions, the culture you're at. I wonder if you could speak to that. Well, for me, your question speaks to Jody's question, actually. It's all about skill and means, Hoban.

[53:37]

So, when is it okay? And that means asking, can I give you a hug? And it can also mean asking, may I have a hug? And within our kind of life, monastic life, there's times and places that are more and less suitable. In Sashin, we say, don't. Right? It's in the admonitions. No physical contact. That's good. So we all understand we're not going to do that. For the record. I've broken that admonition more than once because I'm trying to study Hoban skill and means I have broken that admonition more than once it was totally appropriate so we just

[55:07]

Navigate the way together. Check it out. How does it feel? I think hugs are good. Yeah. But not always the right time and place. I actually brought Dhammapada with me just in case. It's the best. They abused me, they beat me, they defeated me, they robbed me. And those who harbor such thoughts, hatred will never cease. They abused me, they beat me, they defeated me, they robbed me. And those who do not harbor such thoughts, hatred will cease.

[56:12]

For never does hatred cease by hatred here below. Hatred ceases by love. This is an eternal law. Thank you for your talk. Thank you for acknowledging... what happened in Paris and how particularly intimately it affected many of the people who live in Europe and would be close to or have indeed lived in Paris. I was struck by the and I understand what you were saying. You said we're fighting the war on terror by sitting in Tassau. And I was thinking, remembering a January intensive in 2003 that I did in Green Gulch, and there was a big protest in San Francisco

[57:25]

where people were protesting the US involvement in the illegal invasion of Iraq. And many of the people attending the intensive wanted to go to the protest. And Tentu Roshi said, it's up to you, but this is not part of the intensive. He basically didn't give it his stamp of approval. And I thought about it. All my friends were going. I go to a lot of protests in the country I grew up in. And I thought I've traveled 6,000 miles to Sitzaza. And that protesting is a different kind of violence in a way. It's a different kind of dualism. That the teaching that I'm Hearing here is about sitting with the terror, sitting with the violence, sitting in the middle of it and not being separate from it.

[58:40]

You quoted Thich Nhat Hanh and also that great quote from the Dhammapada about becoming, turning toward the aggressor. So I wonder if there's a better metaphor than fighting the war on terror. Could we be sitting with the war on terror? Surely. And I totally agree with you. This is how I'm doing my best. in a suffering world. I don't know if that's everyone's intention who's here. I think for many of us it is. This is how we're trying to help. Yeah. And it's, well, in my opinion, for my money,

[59:53]

Because the benefit is hard to see and hard to measure, people might miss it. For me, I have had plenty of experience and really trust in my heart that We are benefiting a suffering world. All of us will leave this magic time and place and go elsewhere. We say returning to the marketplace with gift-bestowing hands. It's our responsibility as bodhisattvas in training.

[60:58]

That's what we do. That's how it works. Cecilia. I have a different question. Just what you said, you are leaving this space. or rule in the world and what you share with them is left. So how to believe that so if the practice is not as clear. Because this practice here is very clear what we do right. Sometimes. Oh, it said, see with your own eyes.

[62:01]

I think he said that. Or he said, use your own eyes. Yes. So, the practice will be in your body, in your mind, basically in your life. Echo. Echo. It is. Echo y derecho. Yes. Yes. Yes. Trust your practice. That means it's okay to let go of your views about practice. You know, they'll come back again. Don't worry. Over and over.

[63:03]

But every so often, maybe a lot let go, jump off. The perpetrators died that we know of. One shot by the French gendarme. The other seven. These things. What kind of suffering?

[64:10]

drive a human being to do that. Please call me by my true names, right? Yes. I think I want to go a little bit back to it. Maybe you answered it when you answered Mohammed, but... Oh, and first, I appreciate that your intention is to encourage my practice, and you do. And when I hear the war on terror, I can't help but think of some speechwriter for the Bush administration. Yeah. So...

[65:13]

You know, with personal responsibility, like when we do the repentances in the morning, I say all my ancient twisted karma, but oftentimes when I look at it, it seems like it all be ancient twisted karma. Because I can look at my actions and the way I interact in the world, and it's like, if I follow it back, it's like, if it's not physiology, It's like a value system or a belief system that was constructed by a society, by a family, by... You know, it's like, there's no me. It's just kind of like a particular wavelength that's coming out of this body at the moment. You know, one different character in my childhood might be in the military right now, or a different character I might be with ISIS right now. You know, for some reason I'm Nina's end center, you know. And I can fully evoke the ancient twisted karma, or I can appreciate the principle of let's turn toward when a gauntlet walks through that door but I'm not sure I mean the only place I've gotten to is like I remember like maybe I just pretend like there's some personal responsibility like in my actions so in my everyday behavior it seems like it makes sense with this imaginary Francis to pretend like

[66:40]

I have my own personal karma or some control over outcomes. But what is this personal karma? Or is there such a thing? Big philosophical question. Or is it just a convenient box in order to talk about arising of causes and conditions? We can say Francis' karma is to crave ice cream. I would say because... you can say because you can say in my everyday behavior because we can say that because we live in that reality we operate in that reality that's why we have to do it yet the thing is we're not automaton automata we're not we're not robots it's not completely yes yes i'm sure i'm sure you know this deterministic view i don't buy it there's life life is life in life through this body [...] life is life in life we're involved in in this life there is involvement and there is responsibility

[68:06]

I just wanted to ask a question about before when you were talking about how I'm going to come down from the mountain and go back to the marketplace and get the bestowing hands. It's kind of hard to bring this up, but I sat through a lot of Dharma talks and wanted to ask about this, and I just never have. Because this analogies often given as basically seems like synonymous like when somebody leaves Tassahara and this is of course taken from the ox herding imagery and this last step coming down from that and returning to the marketplace with stone hands comes after finding the ox, taming the ox, riding the ox home, becoming one of the ox, and total disappearance.

[69:25]

So is it taking out of context to just say that any time anyone leaves Tashara, they're returning to the marketplace, get the stoned hands, which comes after all? I think it's always within context. I think... you can go through all those pictures, the entire series of ox-herding pictures in half an hour. I think when somebody asks you for a hug, you are returning to the marketplace with gift-bestowing hands. You are giving your love. You're giving practice. You're giving life. that opportunity is always available to us. And, of course, in good old Tassajara, the marketplace comes to us every year.

[70:33]

We open the gates. Here they come. That's when we amp it up. But it's actually important at any moment. Hi, Kristen. Thank you for your talk. This question arose after I heard Bai's question, and now I feel it's related to Benson's question. I wonder if you would say there is any difference between jumping off the 100-foot pole and intimacy with the 10,000 things. No difference. Because I think there is sometimes a tendency for the mind to dichotomize. For instance, what we say, not knowing is most intimate. Dichotomize not knowing and intimacy with the 10,000 things.

[71:39]

Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. No, I don't buy it. Please. Thank you very much for coming back. With respect for all the members of the sangha, I just feel the presence of you know, four corners of the window. It was so empty. And so even I feel, because Paul, Linda, Leslie, and you, you're all gone. And I feel the encouragement and the strength, even with your presence here.

[72:45]

And I have a question. I didn't really hear or understood your response to yourself's question. What are you going to do with that word of fight? The word of fight. What are you going to do? I'm going to let it go. I'm not attached to that. It's a You too, Francis. Pardon me. It's a figure of speech. So, to respond to. Keep your practice vigorous. Practice as a peaceful warrior. Bring everything to the fore with warrior spirit. Be a peaceful warrior.

[73:52]

And see these koans with your own eyes. Okay? The teachers leave. Stand on your own two feet. That's our practice too. Benji. I've thought of this question often. And you set responsibility now a few times. I've often wondered, are we getting to the point of expressing our true nature, which is love, or are we just training ourselves like dogs to be good? The training, the central benefit of Zen, within the context of life's ordinary ups and downs, is not to promote the... Wait a minute.

[75:01]

See, I haven't got it memorized yet. In the context of the ordinary ups and downs of life, is not to prevent the minus and promote the plus. So not just to be good. Suzuki Roshi didn't like that, actually. He kind of made fun of that. He looks like good. You want to be looks like good, he used to say. That's not our practice. But to direct people to the fundamental reality, which is not under the sway of ups and downs. So, find out for yourself. Really. I can't answer that question for you. Do your own practice. Trust your own experience. How is it for you? I know the answer. I'm just wondering what your question is. A rhetorical question. More Zazen.

[76:06]

Sure. I think we're here expressing our true nature, which is love. Thank you very much. Yes, Tony. Can you talk about, like you mentioned, Kaya, the NG? One of the other parameters is something, I don't know the first name for it, the patient forbearance or endurance? Kishanti. They sound sort of similar, but they're different. Yeah, interestingly, they're the two middle ones. They're number three and four. And Sojourn Roshi likes to say they're the pivots. It turns on forbearance and energy. And they inform each other. I have probably said this to half the people in this room.

[77:09]

My favorite translation of Kishanti, my favorite exposition of that is from Thich Nhat Hanh, again. He says he doesn't like the translation patience and forbearance because it has the sense of putting up with something enduring something, gutting it out I hate this but I'll put up with it rather he prefers the translation inclusiveness can we make our hearts big enough to include what's difficult to include so this neatly loops back to the beginning of my talk Exposed. Body exposed to the golden wind. Our capacity. We think we know our capacity.

[78:13]

We don't. That's an illusion. So we... You begin to connect with a boundless heart that can take in what's impossible to take in. That takes persistence, application, sticking with it, coming back over and over again. So yeah, these two paramitas inform each other. Thanks for asking. Speaking of the paramita of patience, it's your talk.

[79:14]

Bye-bye. If nobody else has a question, can I ask a second question? Sure. Be inclusive of seemingly evil acts and intentions going around. And also we vow to end all evil. So sometimes it's like, what is our view about this evil thing? Our view? What is your view? Where do you find your feet? to end all evil that's coming from me, that's relatively easy as a vow. But when I see injustice and evil things going on, just to say, oh, I'm one with it.

[80:17]

I need to be open to everything and everyone. But then when do I ever act to change it? We never act When are you not acting to change it? You're alive. Now. Of course you should go and just stop it. Also, I should say, I don't do hypotheticals very well. Live your life, find your heart, respond appropriately. It's like the fourth or fifth time I've said this.

[81:22]

Trust your practice. That's my answer. Yes, Cormac again. What about when I don't trust my practice? When I don't trust my practice, let I get out of the way a little bit and talk to your teachers and talk to your friends. this has been going on for a while. You're all sitting so strongly. I'm so impressed. I'm so, you know, very, very grateful for this practice period.

[82:30]

Very grateful to be practicing with you all. Yes. As I'm neatly winding it up, yes. Yes. Telling about what happened, you know, I had this one feeling that was like, oh my gosh, what have I done to decide to bring another person into this world that's going to see this and experience this. And then I thought already the joy that it's brought me is pretty awesome. And I've perceived that other people are kind of excited. And that's great. And that I actually feel really good about... It's reassured me about the place I am and the people I'm with.

[83:33]

And I actually feel totally confident that grooming this little girl into this place is okay. And I just really appreciate that. Yeah, actually, I feel some confidence. all of you around here that it's not a bad choice. It's not a bad way to start one's life. And we can't stop life from starting and ending. If I'm enabling someone to start their life here, that's bad. It's fabulous. And I very much invite everyone to feel however they're going to feel, but also to go ahead and feel joyous if you feel like there's no addition to the family that you happen to have decided to be part of.

[84:35]

Thank you. And, you know, she might be the Secretary General of the United Nations that succeeds in bringing everybody to the negotiation table, you know? You just never know. That's the beauty of life. Okay. Oh. Oh, Brother James. Yes, please. Yeah, listening to you talk every night, what goes through my mind is a relationship between caring for oneself and caring for others. And I understand that when we're caring for ourself, we are caring for the world. At times though it seems like we're caring essentially for ourselves and that we forget about that world that maybe we are caring for while we're caring for ourselves.

[85:37]

How do we remind ourselves? How do we in our practice not forget that dealing with our issues is dealing with global issues. Yeah. Well, say, two ways come to mind. The first is, as I said, like yesterday's tragedy, life will come along and remind us over and over again. It's inescapable. And then, as well, it's knitted into the fabric of our practice. Dear Brother Shon, fell over and expired right underneath the Han where it says, this moment now is given but once.

[86:50]

I think we all got the message. Everything we chant. Every time we bow to each other. Bringing each moment to life. Let us remember. How are you this morning? Thank you all so much.

[88:03]

I think this is a fine time to end. 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.

[88:31]

@Transcribed_UNK
@Text_v005
@Score_85.87