This podcast is offered by the San Francisco Zen Center on the web at www.sfcc.org. Our public programs are made possible by donations from people like you. So I am deeply honored to be able to speak at this event, this really auspicious day. where we have decided this is the day of our rededication to Beginner's Mind Temple after a little over a year of being largely closed. The building has been largely closed, although, as many of you know, our practice did not close. We continued throughout this past time. But today, we get to come back and celebrate being together, both in person and online, and to marvel at the incredible craftsmanship and attention to detail that went into taking care of this jewel of a temple.

[01:15]

So I'm sure you're all familiar, maybe not, but maybe familiar with the story of Mahakashyapa And the Buddha, when walking at Vulture Peak, the Buddha stopped and picked up and lifted a flower, sometimes called the Udumbara blossom. And he twirled it in his fingers and looked out over the throngs of disciples who were attending to him. And of them, one person, Mahakasyapa, smiled. This smile started something 2,500 years ago. This recognition beyond words of something deep and profound, beyond the visible flower, but actually the life of awakening that each of us right now are living.

[02:26]

just by being in here right now, whether we're aware of it or not. In that moment of recognition between the Buddha and Mahakasyapa, of the recognition of coming home to something essential, something profound, something ordinary and simple, at that moment our lineage began. So today, as we gather here and we appreciate and marvel at some of the kind of large and small updates throughout the building, and we appreciate and give our gratitude to all the people who diligently worked on this project, architects and builders, all the contractors, our representative that represented San Francisco Zen Center with all of them, to our director, to our abbots, our president.

[03:35]

I mean, there's so many people, everyone, ultimately contributed to this great work. And as we look around, I want to invite you to look a little deeper. You know, of course, we have and maybe you'll get a chance to do this today, we have a new elevator. Maybe you'll get to ride in it. This new elevator is there for the purpose of increasing accessibility to our building. We have an improved ventilation. Actually, we have a ventilation system now in the Zendo, a new HVAC, where the intention is to help us breathe easier. There are, maybe you'll notice, soundproofing put into the Zendo on the Zendo walls to help extend the silence a little deeper. And then redesigned restrooms, like all of the restrooms redesigned, updated, now non-gendered, offering privacy, dignity, and comfort.

[04:46]

And then I'm sure you've noticed our new Welcome Center. the intention of which is to bring together anyone who comes through these doors with years of practice experience of our long-term practitioners, to create that space for them to meet and share wisdom and compassion. So just as Maha Kasyapa saw in the flower something deeper than the appearance of the flower, let's also see the deeper meaning of all of these physical improvements and what they point to, which is fundamentally our deepest vow and commitment to be of benefit to the world, to not leave anyone out, to create sanctuary. to make the Dharma accessible for all beings. And maybe a little bit scratched beneath the veneer of new paint and carpeting and plumbing, you can feel the generations of practice that have sustained us here in this space, this beautiful Julia Morgan building.

[06:06]

Generations of this commitment to countless beings by offering this precious Dharma. So in returning to this space or coming to it for the first time, I'm not sure how many of you are here for the first time. Anyone here for the first time? Welcome. Wonderful. Let's reflect on the question of what drew us to practice, what draws us to practice, what brings us back to the cushion time and time again, despite our achy knees and restless backs, despite all of maybe emotional challenges, mental challenges. I don't know about you, but many people describe their first few times sitting as just some part of them just deeply wanted to jump up and run out of his endos.

[07:10]

No! Because we were brought face to face with ourselves. without adornment. We have just the blank wall to look at. So anything that arises is obviously coming from our own mind. One might think that people come to a place like San Francisco Zen Center and other temples like it in order to escape the chaos of the world, in order to find peace. And while that happens, as we continue in our practice we discover not an escape from the world, not an escape from reality, but an intimate meeting with it. We are steeped here in the Prajna Paramita teachings, the emptiness and wisdom teachings, recognizing that nothing exists just as we perceive it, or the way it appears, that all phenomenon are empty.

[08:18]

of existence from their own side. They only exist by way of interdependence with all other things. Things are real, in a sense, but only because they don't exist in isolation, which is usually how we look around at things. We think they exist on their own. These wisdom teachings are not an abstract philosophy, or they don't lead to kind of, oh, everything's empty, therefore what's the point? Why care? No, completely on the contrary. These wisdom teachings serve as the ground of all of our teachings on responding to suffering. I don't know if you're familiar with the story of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, sometimes you see Avalokiteshvara as a man, sometimes as a woman, sometimes with four arms, sometimes with two arms, sometimes with one head, and sometimes with 11 heads.

[09:30]

The legend goes that Avalokiteshvara, after making a great vow to not turn away from the suffering of beings and to do everything possible to help them, found herself looking down at the six realms of existence, including ours, this human realm. In looking down from Mount Sumeru, she saw great suffering despite having sent a Buddha emissary to each of the six realms. When she saw this and she felt like, I've done what I can, And yet it seems like the suffering in the world has not abated. In fact, it seems like it's about the same. Imagine the feeling. I mean, I'm sure we're all familiar with this feeling of our efforts. What can we do to address the suffering in this world? How easy is it to fall into despair, hopelessness even?

[10:38]

Maybe we want to just give up. Maybe we want to turn away. In this legend, however, with witnessing such great suffering and feeling profoundly the depth of grief at seeing this, Avalokiteshvara's head exploded and shattered into pieces. She cried out to her teacher, Amitabha Buddha, who appeared. And what did Amitabha do? Did Amitabha remove the suffering? No. No. Amitabha transformed all the pieces of her shattered head into eleven heads. So now she had eleven heads with which to see and hear the suffering of the world. When she tried to reach out to be of support with her two arms, they too shattered, this time into a thousand pieces.

[11:44]

And yet again, Amitabha comes and takes the pieces, collects them and transforms them into 1,000 arms, each arm with an eye in the hand to see and with a different implement to be of benefit in all these 1,000 myriad different ways, depending on circumstances. One size does not fit all. So this is our practice. This is what we're coming home to, not turning away from the difficulties, whether they're physical challenges of sitting, whether just minor irritations. I mean, we know how sometimes those can really get under our skin. Through emotional turbulence, large and small, through difficulties that arise in our relationships, we don't abandon people. We find ways to come back to communicate. not turning away from what feels like, what seems like immeasurable suffering.

[12:55]

By doing this with the capacity that we have, we slowly, slowly develop a greater capacity to witness, to bear witness, to be with, to see clearly, and to respond appropriately. We all know how hard that is. But we try. When thinking about the theme of this talk, renewed space, timeless practice, I couldn't help but recall one of the main teachings of our school, of this family, which is the teaching of memitsu no kafu, or as Suzuki Roshi called it, careful attention to detail is the family way or wind, the wind of the family house. The style of this school, close, intimate, gentle, cotton fabric, gentle, our gentle attention and care, diligent.

[14:07]

You see this in how we're instructed to handle just like everything we come into contact with, whether it's the ladle that we're using to serve the soup whether it's a spatula or the striker for the bell. Nothing is too small to not care about when we're interacting with it. Nothing. Even using the restroom, right? We bow and we give our respect before using a restroom. We see it in the way that we line up our shoes outside the Buddha hall and the zendo. We see it in the way that we muffle sounds in the zendo so as not to disturb others. And not just disturbing, but to keep our germs contained here and not there.

[15:13]

Even the simple practice that we have of whenever we can, to use two hands. Using two hands. This memitsu no kafu, or careful attention to detail, we see it in our rituals, in our ritual space, in our ceremonial life, in our deportment, how we walk. This is the invitation to pay careful attention, lovingly, kindly, not with an eye of judgment. This is more than just an embodied practice. It's a transformation of one's mind to take up this practice. We begin to look lovingly at inanimate objects, which is quite transformative to live in such a way.

[16:16]

The word ho-rei captures this as well. Ho meaning dharma, and re meaning etiquette, decorum, also meaning gratitude. So in the way that we handle everything, we can express our gratitude for the thing itself, for our relationship to it, for our very life. Everything that we can do, we can do as a ritual embodiment of awakening. Awakening to what? To our true nature, free from greed, hate, and delusion. It's said that we, you know, through this embodied practice that we're flexing a muscle, we're building a character. It's not just going through the motions. that they themselves, that the ritual themselves are themselves the fundamental wisdom and compassion of our school, meeting everything and attending to everything with this careful care and attention.

[17:30]

Amazingly, we also see this and we saw this. I had the opportunity this past year when the renovations began, just as they were getting started, I was here in the city. I had been down at Tazahara, and I came up and was briefly involved for the first maybe three months of the renovation, where in the very beginning we had these meetings between the architects and the builders, between Zen Center leadership. I'm sure you'll hear more about this as we turn to those who are most intimately involved. But I just want to say from my experience, the first meetings that we had were about what are our values? What do each of us bring as our values that we want to share with one another? How do we come up with agreements and shared values? I remember some of them that came up were, I think the top one was maybe safety, of course.

[18:34]

Respect. Communication. But what also grew out of these, as I've heard from people who continued these meetings, because it wasn't just the first meeting, it was a monthly meeting throughout the process, where the builders, the architects, the owners, the representatives came together and reevaluated, how are we doing? How are we doing with our values? Is there anything that needs to be adjusted? This is the spirit of our school, to come back, to check in, to review. And out of this, you know, I went to Tassajara and I missed the last nine months of the Replication. But I heard and saw when I came back and the times I visited from Tassajara, I saw the feeling of family, the friendship. The Sangha grew larger, let me say that, during that time. So this shared practice that I think all of us, whether we know the name of it or not, we felt it, this attention to detail, this careful attending is so relevant and vital right now, as it always has been.

[20:01]

this collective commitment that we all came together to maintain and upgrade this sacred space that exists in the heart of our city. This space where seekers of truth and wisdom, of community, seekers of refuge, may find a space, a safe space to sit down and turn inward. And then speak to others, turning outward. When we think of sanctuary, this is what we're providing, this sanctuary that's being built. It's not a hiding place. As we're opening our doors and welcoming back our existing sangha, we're also opening our arms to all of those who seek practice as a response to the chaotic uncertainty of these times, seeking genuine connection, seeking to cut through greed, hatred, and delusion.

[21:18]

A few weeks ago, one evening, when we didn't have a public talk, a Dharma talk, we had a shingi review. A shingi are our guidelines of conduct for the temple. I believe we had a review, Paul led a review for people coming in from the Maha Thanga while the residents gathered because their Shingi are a little bit more detailed. But in the Shingi review, some of the feelings of what's really important to us are revealed. What's the point of having guidelines? Is it to control us? What are rules for? They provide safety. They provide a way to care for one another. They're community agreements.

[22:25]

I'm just going to read a section from Marshingi. Students at SFCC aspire to view all beings as Buddha treating each person we meet equally with care and respect. As part of a diverse community and world, SFCC acknowledges that diversity practice and Dharma practice are not separate. In actively promoting, nurturing and maintaining a diverse, equitable and inclusive community, SFCC aspires to express and manifest the Bodhisattva way. This temple's diverse and inclusive community forms the foundation of each Sangha member's spiritual well-being and development, as well as the institution's integrity and vitality. In this context, SFC as an institution commits to support and embody diversity, equity, inclusion, and cultural humility. Right on.

[23:25]

Now, Later on today, we'll be doing some chanting. And one of the chants that we will do is the loving-kindness meditation. Maybe you're familiar with this. In the loving-kindness meditation, there's an exhortation, a wish, an intention. Let one be strenuous, upright and sincere, without pride, easily contented and joyous. And then... Let one not be submerged by the things of the world. I want to say a little bit about what it means to be submerged or what it means to not be submerged. Not being submerged is not turning away. This is what is meant by meeting things as they are, just as they are, with both vigor and gentleness. Last practice period at Tassajara, I chose the topic of the six paramitas, the six perfections.

[24:36]

The first of these is generosity. How do we open our hearts to ourselves and others fully? The second is ethical conduct. You can also see this in our Shingi. How do we build trust? mutual respect and stability. The third is patience or sometimes called, Thich Nhat Hanh calls it inclusiveness. How do we learn to work within and appreciate our differences? The fourth is sometimes heroic effort. How do we maintain composure when things get hard? The fifth is meditation. How do we find our stable awareness without losing contact with it? And then wisdom. How do we also see the emptiness of all phenomenon, including our own fixed views and reactive patterns?

[25:47]

In the other chant that we'll be chanting today, the Heart Sutra, We will chant, form does not differ from emptiness. Emptiness does not differ from form. How many of you have experienced this? When we sit? It's hard to describe. It's hard to put into words. But the experience of it, when we carefully attend to our moment-by-moment experience, It reveals both something that's a seemingly substantial reality, something that can't be denied, of our body and mind, our breath, and a fundamental spaciousness, undifferentiated, ungraspable, but holding everything. When we find ourselves constricted by

[26:54]

circumstances like fear and anger, we can remember that nothing at all has unchanging self. Nothing has a fixed existence. Everything is changing. Everything is impermanent. Everything flows. This is crucial medicine for this time. The Heart Sutra further says, no suffering. No cause, no cessation, no path, no knowledge, no attainment. What does that mean? Are we denying something here? Immediately after that, it reminds us. A bodhisattva relies on Prajnaparamita. Thus the mind is without hindrance, and without hindrance there is no fear. This, too, is not just philosophical speculation.

[27:56]

We access this directly when we sit, when we experience reality intimately, without putting something on top of it, just as it is. Maybe for a glimpse. I can't... I can't say enough how important it is to not lose heart in these times. Unfortunately, we're at a place now where wealth and power have been concentrated in the hands of those who prioritize control over truth, who value loyalty over justice, and who weaponize fear and amplify division. Let us not forget that this too is our ground of practice. We can see in real time how greed, hate, and delusion can capture not just in the individual mind but also entire systems.

[29:04]

And yet our practice teaches us something profound. Even as institutions may falter and democracy itself seems fragile. the human spirit, its fundamental yearning for freedom and truth and awakening, remains unshakable. So like Avalokiteshvara, we don't turn away from the magnitude of suffering. Let us not turn away from the magnitude of suffering. Instead, how can we develop a greater capacity to see clearly and respond wisely. This is why we sit. This is why we keep coming back to the cushion. Something in us knows this deeply. This is why we maintain our practice, not as an escape, but as a way to ground ourselves fully in what is most true and essential, to cultivate the wisdom and compassion that are needed, that are required,

[30:19]

to meet these times with fierce clarity and an open heart. Almost every morning here, we chant a verse. It's a dedication, actually, but we chant it almost every morning, I think, the hymn to the perfection of wisdom. Sometimes these past few weeks, when I'm chanting it, tears come to my eyes. It's an homage to the perfection of wisdom, the lovely, the holy. The perfection of wisdom gives light. And this is where it gets me. Unstained, the entire world cannot stain her. She is a source of light. And from everyone, she removes darkness of delusion. She herself is an organ of vision.

[31:20]

She has a clear knowledge of the own being of all dharmas. The own being is the ground of being, which is undifferentiated. It's not graspable. The undifferentiation out of which all apparent entities, distractions, dualities arise and sink back into. I was poking around a bit. on the internet, kind of looking at other descriptions of Buddhism and its response, I found a 1993 talk that was given by the Dalai Lama. I just wanted to quote from that. He says, in 1993. For thousands of years, people have been led to believe that only an authoritarian organization employing rigid disciplinary methods could govern human society.

[32:35]

However, because people have an innate desire for freedom, the forces of liberty and oppression have been in continuous conflict throughout history. He then says something about how the tide has turned. This is in 1993. And, oh, look where we are now, which way we're going. It's very sad to read. And then he says, the human race can neither tolerate nor function properly under tyranny. The Buddha saw that life's very purpose is happiness. He also saw that while ignorance binds beings in endless frustration and suffering, that wisdom is liberating. There is this natural movement within all of us towards freedom and dignity. Let us not forget that. Our practice helps us embody this truth not through hatred and violence, but through patient, careful cultivation of wisdom and compassion.

[33:44]

Now, It's not this wisdom and compassion. Sometimes people say, oh, compassionate, it's too soft. How do you meet authoritarianism with compassion? I just want to give you a little extra note about the story of Avalokiteshva and her many heads. It is said that of the 11 heads, she had 11 heads, so three and then three, and then three, and then one, and one. At the very top, the top head is Amitabha's head, the face of ultimate truth. The three rows of three, the nine, are said to have a peaceful countenance. The one in between, the one head out of 10 heads, is a wrathful face. This is the wrathful face that requires a fierce clarity, not hatred, but not turning away from resistance and disruption.

[35:00]

How do we find our path? How do we act appropriately? And when we feel like it's too much, how do we come back to our immeasurable vows, which we'll chant at the end of this talk, which I'm coming to the end of quickly. So we say that beings are numberless, and our vow is to save all of them. That our delusions are inexhaustible, and yet we vow to end them. That the Dharma gates are boundless, but yet we vow to enter them. and that Buddha's way is unsurpassable, and yet we vow to become it. These are all impossible for an individual to do. And yet we say these vows, we commit to these vows. They're not merely aspirational.

[36:05]

As aspirational, as aspiration, you can say they're impossible. They're impossible to fulfill. I think, however, there is a way in which when we take these vows, they describe our practice when we drop body and mind, when we fling ourselves wholeheartedly into the house of Buddha and meet each moment completely. Remember that it is through our challenges that we're here. How do we not turn away from them but yet study them intimately. And like Avalokiteshvara, when our heart is breaking open, that's an appropriate response. So let it break open. Maybe there's a small part of each of us that knows, that suspects that we'll just develop a greater capacity to hold more, to be more understanding,

[37:12]

This practice gives us a taste of something real that's beyond appearances, beyond our personal comfort and discomfort. So as we return to this physical space and marvel at its beauty, how do we not forget what we are actually coming home to? How do we find stability within change? and grow our capacity for wisdom and compassion? How do we not reject the world but study an appropriate response? When we take our seat in the zendo or in the Buddha hall, in our life as it is, we participate in something beyond, something more powerful than a worldly authority, we actually are participating in this deep, immeasurable vow to be of benefit and liberation to all beings.

[38:34]

So as you go through this day and spend time in this space, on this auspicious time, in this auspicious time, Just remember, this is why we create spaces like this. This is why we spend so much money and do so much work and disrupt so many people so that we can come back and reconnect. So thank you very much for being here. 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.

[39:35]

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