This podcast is offered by San Francisco's Zen Center on the web at sfcc.org. Our public programs are made possible by donations from people like you. Good morning. Here at Zen Center we've had a hectic month. Some of our senior people who meant the most to us have passed away. Just this week, Lou Hartman, Mitsu Zen, Intimate Zen, passed. And before I go on anywhere else, I just want to... Lance was going to leave this practice period and give the talk today, but since Lou passed, she's busy with other things. But she...

[01:00]

and a message which Vicki helped to put together with her. This is from Lou's Bedside. Dear Dharma friends, birth and death is the most important matter. Nothing abides. Everything changes. Awake! Awake! Don't waste this life. This verse is written on the Han that calls us to Zazen every day. In some monasteries, this verse is chanted every night. Today, as I sit with Lu, the verse from this Han is very vivid for me. It might help everyone to take note of it. The Tibetan Buddha says, death is certain, only the time of death is uncertain. So this might be your question too. The great matter of birth and death is highlighted in the circle of the practice period. The central practice The question of the practice period is, how do we live our lives together, knowing that it is the nature of things that we will all sometime must die?

[02:08]

This also is my question. The first time I encountered death intimately, this very question spontaneously arose. How do you live if you know you will die? Day by day, moment by moment, I have been practicing with this question for 40 years. Witnessing Suzuki Roshi demonstrating the way with his own body and mind, hearing the bodhisattva vow and putting it into action, I feel every day how our practice is a response to the great matter. That's how I've been able to practice this way for this long. This practice means the most central question in my life. In Genjo Koan, Dogen Zenji takes up the great matter as a central point of everyday life. He gives us an indication of how to live and practice with birth and death. Before I go any further, I would like to shout, and you can join me.

[03:12]

Shout for Lou, shout for Darlene, shout for Jerome, shout for ourselves. Let's do it three times. One, two, ah! Once more with feeling. One, two. I don't know how that sounded, it's streaming into space. I think we all feel some loss, even though the time was probably right for them. Lou was 95. Darlene suffered from various illnesses for the last 30 years of her life.

[04:17]

Jerome was Jerome. But still we feel the loss, even though it may be okay. We feel the loss. and we should recognize that. But these three people demonstrated becoming who they are. Sounds like a contradiction, doesn't it? The Genjo Koan is about being and doing. We all have the potential to be Buddhists. That's our being. But we need to actualize it by our practice. That's doing it.

[05:22]

So today we have a one-day sitting to open up the practice period, which is on the Genja Goan, sometimes translated as actualizing the fundamental point. I think when we realize that death is going to happen, really realize it. We don't want to waste their time. We want to do the most important things. Maybe that's why 93 people signed up for the one-day sitting and the scooter hall is overflowing. So I would like to encourage you, encourage me to make the most of the rest of our lives.

[06:43]

To follow the examples of these three people who have gone before us. to keep a blanch in our hearts as she goes through this painful time. So, I was going to talk about not sacrificing your consciousness. Now, what does that mean? It means don't get pushed around. Don't push yourself around. Be where you are. It means if you're sad, be sad.

[07:54]

There's not a rule that you can't be sad. There's no rule. Nobody owns religion or art or your life. You need to take possession of it. And since you can't possess it, it puts you in a bind. If we try to listen to something wonderful, it means ignoring the bird that we are listening to now. This is Zubi Roshi talking in the courtyard at Tassahara and the birds were singing. If we try to listen to something wonderful, it means ignoring the birds that we are listening to now. When you think Buddha said something wonderful and I must find out what he meant, then your mind is directed toward Buddha's words so that you don't hear the birds. So always we sacrifice actual reality because we stick to something. And we stick to something that looks like it's very good, but it's not so good.

[08:57]

If we have this kind of attitude when we listen to words or teaching even, we will lose our life. And maybe our whole life will be sacrificed because of some special teaching. So our way is rather to enjoy one's life right now without sacrificing. This is kind of desire which human beings have. To some extent, desires we have are good. But if we are enslaved by desires, we lose whole being. So it looked like he was saying one thing. And he said, don't get caught by that either. So, when I'm recommending as you try this practice period not to hurry or push yourself around. It may mean that you have to decide to do less. But, you know, the time I get crazy is if I try to finish one more thing and I have something else waiting for me and then I get all twisted.

[10:08]

It doesn't mean we can't stretch, but Don't try to change your reality. Or try it and notice it very carefully how successful you are. People sign up to do practice period or to live in the building and they say they want to do all the stuff we have to do and then they find that it's hard. It's hard. And they say, why are they making me do this? It's you that's making it hard. It's me that's making it hard. If you sign up for something hard and don't blame somebody else,

[11:15]

Or don't try to get in all your favorite little treats, and then it makes your self-life too busy. You may have to give something up. Alas. So Buddha, this guy over here, this guy over here, had three parts to his teaching. The teacher, the teaching, and the community. And in order to transform yourself completely, or to let things happen so that you can allow things to transform you, you need these three things. And of course, other people are such a nuisance. You have to realize you're a nuisance to them.

[12:31]

So the only thing I'm recommending is that you try kindness this practice period. Try gentleness and kindness in your practice. You can tell somebody something about which they might correct them. That's okay. But it's not so important. It's important to demonstrate and for you to be kind to yourself and other people, not to press people even for change. It's been my experience is that the smallest possible change has the biggest possible results. So I would like you who are in the practice period, and those who are not, if you'd like to, to pick one little thing that you're going to do different and be very thorough with it. Just one little thing. And that can transform your whole life. we'll be studying the Genjo Koan, but if we try to listen to something wonderful, it means ignoring the birds that we are listening to now.

[14:14]

The thing we're going to be studying is called the Koan of everyday life. The Koan of the birds. So when people pass away, there are new people needed to take up their teaching slack. When great teachers are lost, other teachers are needed to replace them. That's you. even you who are listening on the airwaves.

[15:20]

So to appreciate the consciousness that you have now and either try to get rid of it or hold on to it is to let each moment to teach you to not have something outside of your life outside of what's present, not to go somewhere else. If we try to listen to something wonderful, it means ignoring the birds that we are listening to now. When you think Buddha said something wonderful and I must find out what he meant, then your mind is directed toward Buddhist words so that you don't hear the birds. So always we sacrifice actual reality because we stick to something. And we stick to something that looks good. It is very good, but not so good. If we have this kind of attitude when we listen to words or teachings even, we will lose our life.

[16:36]

And maybe our whole life will be sacrificed because of some special teaching. That's where he says one thing. Then he contradicts it. So one way is rather to enjoy life right now without sacrificing. This is a kind of desire which human beings have. To some extent, desires we have are good. But if we are enslaved by desires, we lose whole being. There you have it. So we're going to be exploring these matters during this practice period. Vicky and Leanne, who's going to be our wonderful chiseaux, and Blanche, to do whatever she can do.

[17:46]

It may mean she needs a complete timeout. I'd need it. Because she's taking the present moment seriously. She's not jumping to some other moment. And so that means the thing that happens in practice period is people either get crazy unless they push themselves to the limit, past the limit, or they keep modifying things so that they never face the difficulty. They're always putting something in between. So I'd like you to take care of yourself and push yourself a little bit, not too much, just more than you're used to. And if you find you're pushing yourself too much, then step back.

[18:48]

Some people push themselves to the point where they're not bored. But it's okay to be bored. If you're being bored, you're running up against your, the way you judge things, as good or bad. Oh, I know that, that's boring. Why is it boring? What does boring mean? Why are you turning off to this area? So in this practice period, there'll be many people you can talk with and get advice from. Our wonderful Tonto Jordan, Vicki, Leanne,

[19:56]

I might have a word or two. But it's, you're in charge of your life. If you're not, take charge. But when you're in charge of your life, you realize you can use all the help you can get. It's not that you're in charge so you don't need help. When you take responsibility for yourself and the whole world, Death is certain. Only the time of death is uncertain. Do you have any questions?

[21:16]

I don't want to take a lot of questions, but I'll take a couple. Or we can shout some more. Yes. You say, taking charge of your life. Yes, I did say that. I have to admit it. What is this? Is it like a totality of activities, or is it just the presence in the moment, or who's directing who there? I'm getting me confused. I thought I knew what it was. Sorry. I'm feeling confused about that, so I thought I'd share it with you. Thank you. I don't know if I need it, but thanks anyhow. Taking charge of your life means there's nobody else who's the boss.

[22:27]

You can blame your life on anybody, but I'm sorry you're stuck with it. So however you plan to take charge of it, you're doing the planning. Yes. Yes. If you're saying, I'm not in charge of my life, all these other people are, then you're giving away your power. And it's not that you can do everything you want. Karma is we do something and everybody else does something and then the result is what happens. You have to be rigorously honest with yourself.

[23:32]

Honesty and courage are the most important things. And that means when you see yourself pushing yourself, are you pushing yourself so you're going to fail? Are you pushing yourself so you want to understand an edge? Look at your motivation. And then say, well, I think I'm doing it for a good reason. I'll try. and watch. Some people want to push themselves so they'll be big shots. Some people want to push themselves so they'll prove that they're a failure. But little by little you can see what the world's like. And you have the support of the practice period to work on yourself as long as you keep communicating with other people. Does that help?

[24:45]

Are you following your breath now? So if you're following your breath, then follow your breath. Don't worry about if you're pushing yourself too much, just follow your breath. There's a way in which we want to be our self-critic, critic of ourselves and everybody. But it's not about being critical, it's about keeping on track. Thank you. may be, and it may be that there are times to listen to the Buddha and not to listen to the birds. But to notice what your whole life is, it includes the birds, and it includes Buddha's teachings.

[25:50]

But some people want to say, I know, I confess, earlier on in my practice, I loved studying the Lotus Sutra. So I didn't like what I was working at or living in Zen Center or anything like that, but I loved the Lotus Sutra. So I'd run to study the Lotus Sutra. But unfortunately, the Lotus Sutra is very sneaky. When you study the Lotus Sutra, you realize it's your life. So it puts you back in your life rather than someplace to go. So Buddhist teaching will do that too. You'll They'll say, oh, I love Buddhist teaching. And then we read another paragraph. And the paragraph will say, be in the present. And you'll say, oh, that's a great idea. Yes, mercy.

[27:03]

I think that birds see tracks of other birds in the sky just as we see ruts in the earth of other animals. In case I'm unclear, yes. A shout could be a response. And also, initiation is part of being a human being or being a bird. Birds initiate things in order to get fed. Passivity is... Sometimes it looks like Zen is about passivity. It's tricky because it's not about passivity, but you don't want to stand up in the boat and confuse everything. You know, if you stand up in the boat...

[28:16]

Whatever the boat's going, it's just going down. So, but not, there comes a time in your practice when you have to, there may be something you want to do, and you should do it. For more information, please visit sfcc.org and click giving. May we all fully enjoy the Dharma.

[29:10]

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