There's my temple. The chosen few. Welcome this morning and thank you for being here. On what about an hour ago promised to have been a sunny day. There goes plans. You know, I had this opening of the talk to pay homage to the sunny spring day. But we'll do so anyway. It's still there. It's just that the clouds have come to visit. That the blue sky is still there. This morning is I'm experiencing it as a transition moment.

[01:48]

A transition moment from what we have been doing here at the temple the past seven weeks and what we were about to embark on this evening. And for the past seven weeks, we've been engaged in the early spring practice period. where it has been a period of heightened, uh, activity with, in addition to the usual Zazen periods in the Zendo we've had, uh, in Dharma talks, we've also had, uh, student talks and, uh, teas in small groups and, um, and the high level of energy that starts arising after, uh, a group of people are come together to share a journey. somewhat a little bit of intimacy begins to show itself.

[02:52]

And an opening, an opening of the heart. So we've been engaged in that for the past seven weeks. And then this evening, we sort of begin the ending of the practice period with a, the first evening of a seven-day sashin. Sashin often translated as unifying the mind or gathering the mind or heart. Shin, Sino-Japanese ideograph for heart or mind. Setsu also can mean to touch. or to convey, or to receive. So a group of us are going to enter the sacred space of the zendo, of the meditation hall, and do our best effort to embrace this practice of sashin.

[04:11]

A seven-day silent intensive meditation retreat. And Sashina is a rare opportunity. It's a rare opportunity to put aside everything. Easier said than done. But we make our best effort. And as Zen master Aiken Roshi said, Sashin is a time to focus wholeheartedly on one thing and nothing else. So we might ask ourselves, what is that one thing that we will be focusing on for seven days? That one thing. The way that I've experienced it is that I feel we're very fortunate to have two streams, where we have the stream of Zen Master Dogen, the founder of the Soto School, who gave us the gift of Zazen.

[05:27]

And then we have the stream of our founder, the Zen Master Chunryu Suzuki Roshi, whose emphasis is just this breath. Just this breath, moment to moment, nothing else. Twenty-something of us will be attempting to engage wholeheartedly in this seven-day Sashin beginning this evening until next Saturday. with lots and lots of zazen, lots and lots of wall gazing. We face the wall in this tradition when we sit meditation, when we sit zazen. There will be silent work periods and formal meals in the meditation hall in the zendo.

[06:34]

The opportunity to meet with a senior Dharma teacher, and other practice leaders for private guidance or instruction. And there will be talks like this one with intention of really rah, [...] rah us through these seven days, you know, lighting that fire. So this morning I'd like to attend to talk about Zazen as a gate to our true nature. The text that we have been studying this past seven weeks, Dogen Senji's

[07:48]

The Wholehearted Way is a text where young Master Dogen writes about an experience that he went through while he was practicing in China. And it's a tribute to his brilliance that in the way that he used the words to convey his experience, and this was in the mid-1200s, even today, we can draw inspiration and zeal to attempt to see if we can even catch a slight glimmer of what he's telling us that he experienced.

[08:53]

How many of you have received Zazen instructions? Quite a number of you. I'll never forget my first Zazen instruction. Because I never thought that when I went in to receive these instructions, this person who was born in Cuba and grew up in Harlem would end up sitting here wearing these clothes in front of you. As we say, often there are suspicious coincidences that arise. And I went to receive Sassan instructions at Green Gulch.

[10:10]

And my Dharma father, Lou Hartman, was the instructor. And as I remember it, and I want to parenthesize that, Many of you who know me, I can tend to make up and create things, stories. This is how I remember it. The instructions happened pretty straightforward. So immediately I was struck with the fact that I was expecting something like special. It was pretty straightforward, you know, posture. Aligning the spine, tucking the chin, teeth together, mouth closed, tongue resting on the roof of your mouth against your upper teeth. Hands in the cosmic mudra, arms loose by your side.

[11:21]

Pretty straightforward. And then the questions and answer opportunity came. And there were several questions that I was very moved by, but the one in particular I will never forget, which probably has a lot to do how I'm sitting here this morning. As I remember it, someone asked if there was anything else. And what I recall the response was, is, no. This is what it takes to just sit. Zazen. But it takes a lifetime to practice it. And I think I share this with the practice period group that...

[12:31]

It was my first experience of that notion of lifetime. Not in the abstract, yet the fact that this person was involved in that concept of lifetime, it applied to this person. There's life and there was time. Wow. I didn't understand it really, lifetime. What I do recall is that I made a commitment to find out what is that, to practice something for a lifetime. So I thought it was really great how that she was able to put her books on the stand last week during the talk.

[13:49]

I see my teacher frowning, so I better not do that. One thing I overlooked in saying of what's going to happen next week is that the practice period ends with a joyous celebration of a Shuso ceremony, with a ceremony for Shuso, Marsha Angus, who's been the head student in this practice period. And before I continue, I also want to... say that as I was thinking about this talk this week, which was already a big mistake, but I thought about it anyways, was that I wanted to share that I was inspired to give this talk by the march that took place in San Francisco last Sunday. I was also inspired by spring coming.

[14:58]

And I was also inspired by a movie that premiered last Friday called The Namesake. I also want to be intentional about dedicating this time together that we're having this morning. This privileged time and this privileged space to all of those who at this very moment are experiencing fear and hunger and abuse and oppression and neglect by fellow humans. So this actual posture of Zazen, we can say it's a natural posture that we take.

[16:06]

If we have noticed the images that are on the altars, like this Buddha that's right here. how in that posture there's this deep sense of serenity, of stillness, of ease, regalness. It's dignified and noble. And all of us can enter that gate. No one is left outside of that gate. And there's, I don't know about you, but something happens to me when I come across an image of a person that's sitting cross-legged or on a chair.

[17:10]

Because I've noticed that I've never seen an image of Zen Master Dogen cross-legged. So that was very hopeful for me. Because I spent a long time needing to sit on a chair due to physical challenges. But my good friend and Dharma sister, Martha Shotai, would always say, even though you never saw him sit cross-legged, Dogen sat cross-legged. And if you know Martha, you believe it, even though it was in the 1200s and she's here now. But there is something about being in that space of Zazen that when... eyewitness it, there's an ah, there's a dropping into, there is a settling. So perhaps we can say that Zazen is a holder, a container.

[18:18]

holder or container for the unknown to unfold. In that stillness of our body-mind, the inherent ability that we each have to see things as it is, as Suzuki Roshi used to say. That ability to see things just as it is. is freed, completely freed. And the posture supports us in what I think is really a cool thing. And again, I have to give credit to Shotai, because it was with her that I first had this conversation. You're not creating more karma. She would say.

[19:29]

So we take this posture and we fold our legs or we sit with our legs still with our feet on the floor. Our gaze cast down. Our hands in the mudra that holds the universe. And most important, our mouth is shut. Thank the Buddhas and Dogen Senji and all the Tathagatas who've transmitted this wondrous Dharma for this posture. So in that space, our true nature is revealed in the intimacy of breath, in the intimacy of silence, in the intimacy of Sangha, of community.

[20:47]

Something happens when we practice Zazen together. whether it is in the zendo, or sweeping the courtyard, or chopping the vegetables in the kitchen. In silence, the activity is a conduit to intimacy. Oftentimes we, I don't know about you, but oftentimes I feel that if I can truly express myself, what I'm feeling, and really get down to intense processing, I can really get close to someone. And yet, at times, just gazing into someone's eyes. Or just being next to each other. Sharing the smile. Yeah, the heart meets. Hearts meet.

[21:54]

And we experience the interdependence of the reality of our true nature. It is in this holder or container of zazen that unperturbed the seed of wisdom is watered in the shade of all the Buddhists and Tathagatas. Within the spaciousness of such moments, we're able to see what arises in the mind. The stories, the judgments, the criticisms, the desires, the fantasies, the attachments to the joy, the aversions to the sorrow. We're able to see what arises in the body. and what arises in the heart. And that seeing is the witnessing to a moment pregnant with possibilities.

[23:22]

And we're born anew, and the path unfolds before us. In Zazen, we can step into a state of grace. The ability to stay with whatever's in front of us grows exponentially.

[24:25]

The ability to stay with what's in front of us grows exponentially. So last Sunday, something happened. Is Maya here? I don't know if it was when Maya brought to my attention that there was this march that was happening. We were standing, I think, by the message board. And I recall my response being, yes, I know, but I'm going to the movies. Or something to that effect.

[25:33]

Very un-Buddhist, but true. And that response is coming from a place of a little bit of aversion. Because after over 25 years of being involved in social change work and activism and so forth, right before I was getting ready to be ordained, I made the commitment that I was no longer going to do that. I've been there and done that. Therefore, I have other things to do. More important, of course. So, with my Dahmer sister, Joan, I proceeded to honor my commitment to go to the movies.

[26:41]

Wholehearted. commitment to go to the movies. Is it okay? A little too late now. It's too late, baby. As we were walking down Market Street, we came to an intersection and the police officers were putting on the barricades. I said, oh, the march. Oh, yes, the march, yeah. And realized that the march was an ending. It was not ending. The people involved in the march had not even arrived at City Hall. But, you know, I wanted to go see this movie at a particular time. And it was just a little inconvenient, you know, the timing of all this. co-rising happening on Market Street.

[27:44]

I remember being very diligent about moving into a storefront so I could take out my cell phone so I can call the movie theater to confirm what time the movie was, you know, as the marchers were passing, right? And I didn't wear my rocket suit, but I was wearing a Samway, you know, that informal jacket. And I kept thinking, ooh, someone on that march sees me. Because I knew the Buddhist, you know, Buddhist Peace Fellowship was marching. So this was going in my head happening very quickly. But I wanted to get to the movies. So I was at Market and Turk. So something happened at the corner of Market and Turk.

[28:48]

And I think I was taking from outside of the self-absorbed preoccupation of this person here to, what is the name of, contingent, a contingent of Native people passing by with the drums and the chanting. That's when I first looked up. I have a memory of stopping at that point. Stopping on Market Street. A Turk. Still wanting to get to the Mercadero. And then this other contingent walked by. Caribbean drums, you know, and it's like, oh, it's feeling pretty good. And spring was coming and it was sunny. And then a person came very close, pushing a shopping cart.

[29:57]

Person seemed somewhat inebriated. I couldn't tell even now whether it was a man or a woman. The cart was covered with a heavy wool blanket and it was pretty warm. at that time that day. And at the end of the cart, there were two legs hanging. You can see from the knees down, jeans and tennis shoes. And the person wheeled the cart, again as I remembered it, close to where Joan and I were standing, and started walking away. There's a police officer here with a barricade, a cart filled with something that had two legs hanging over it. And the person was walking away.

[30:59]

I think that was at the moment I started maybe forgetting a little bit about getting to the Embarcadero. So I started following where this person who was pushing the cart was going and looking at the police officer, you know, and the mind was going, is this a dead body? You know, it could have probably have been. And then the person sort of stopped and then came back. You know, I thought, well, I'll just go and tell the officer if this person keeps going that there's. at least two legs coming out of this card. Something's going on. But the person came back and put his or her hands on the card and said, don't worry, he's not dead.

[32:00]

Then was pushing the card away to the corner, more to a store that had... blanket and was trying to do all this and I have memory like we try to help with the blanket carry the blanket over to where they were and they said thank you. And then we just stood there. And then as we were trying, my cell phone rings. And there's my sister Maya saying, Ryumun, we need you. And my mind went, there goes the movie for sure. And there is something wonderful about being in this interconnection with those around us and having the support of someone who also walks the path of practice.

[33:43]

And in Zazen, we have that. Because when the phone call came, and it was about, you know, could I come to the Civic Center in support of the effort of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship? who had arrived there, and the people were sitting to Sitazen, I said to Maya, hold on, let me check here with my date and see if we can, what we're going to do. And the support was there, you know. The appropriate response, the appropriate response, turn around, walk back to the Civic Center. So this ability that we are able to cultivate in Zazen is an ability that, for me, I'm calling the practice of witnessing. The Shuso last week, if I remember, talked about, was a Suki Roshi who said, stop, sit down, sit still, sit long.

[34:59]

See, I make things up. But the stopping, that stopping and witnessing, that ability, we can all cultivate it through the practice of Zazen. And the world, right at this moment, is in dire need of human beings who could deeply, wholeheartedly practice witnessing. This wholehearted practice of Dogen Zenji seeps into our bones. And without knowing, without thinking, without choosing, the appropriate response arises. And if we are fortunate and awake, we meet the suffering of the world. So I'd like to end with a poem.

[36:09]

It's a poem by Dana or Dana Falls, F-A-U-L-D-S, from the book Go In and In, Poems from the Heart. And it's called witness. When I can be the witness, all manner of miracles occur. All wounds heal. The past reveals itself to be released. Present dramas play themselves. without sinking emotional talons into my soft skin. The witness welcomes truth and dares to meet reality on its own terms. It is the ground in which the seeds of transformation take root and finally flower.

[37:30]

When the witness is awake, The lake of mind is still. And in that mirrored surface, I see my own true face as spirit smiling back at me.

[37:50]

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