Good evening. Thanks for coming. I would like to begin by thanking and acknowledging my teacher, Solzhen Mell Weitzman Roshi, abbot of Bergliesand Center, and to say that this talk is just to encourage you in your practice. So this is... Pretty unusual circumstances. I'm kind of liking the change in venue. It's different. We're making good use of this retreat hall lately, which is nice. Let me see. In the coming week, we will also have another community meeting with the Abbots on Tuesday night. And another movie night on Wednesday night.

[01:03]

And another movie night on Wednesday night. And a full moon ceremony. That'll be in the Zendo. So, unusual circumstances. Tonight, I want to talk about three things. The first is sashim. The second is menmitsu no kafu. And the third is the cool breeze blows through the empty hall. But before I get into that, bore you with fire stories. So, not too long, though.

[02:08]

Unusual circumstances, but I was appreciating the five seasons of Tassajara. I usually think of just four seasons of Tassajara. There's guest season, there's practice period, there's work period, and there's winter interim. And then there's also fire seasons. Because this is not that new. I haven't been around Tassara that long. And I was here in 2008. And it feels very familiar. Some elements of all of it. Definitely elements of guest season because it's hot. And the guests were just here. They're gone. They're gone. They're gone. And kind of like practice period because it's just us.

[03:15]

And kind of like work period because we're following a work period schedule and really working a lot. And kind of like interim in its intimacy. Intimacy. I hope you're enjoying the uniqueness and taking it up as practice, actually. So many people all over the world are thinking of us and sending us good wishes. It's really humbling to think about. You're good friends. You're already in City Center and Green Gulch. and then people all over the world. In 2008, it was a lot like this. I came down, I was CFO, Treasurer CFO of San Francisco Zen Center.

[04:17]

And after the guests evacuated, they let me come down and help, which I was really happy to do. And Steph Wendersky and I worked on a crew putting sprinklers on top of buildings. And that's when we came up with the name Dharma Rain. And Graham Ross actually came up with the name Dharma Rain. It comes from the Holy Vodas Sutra. Steph and I were a crew of two people. And I slapped together a half-inch PVC pipe. We went together and put rainbows on it. And we just went from building to building, putting them up. boom, boom, boom, with three-quarter-inch EMT straps, one-hole EMT straps, because I used to do electrical construction, and that was the only hardware holding it into place, and it was just, boom, move on.

[05:20]

Yeah, really fast. And it was like this, because in 2008 also, There was this kind of long time, close to three weeks, as I recall, that people were saying the fire is three days away. It became a running gag. People were like joking about it. Yeah, it's three days away. Is it three days away again? Yep, it's still three days away. A week later, two weeks later. That's how I remember it. Then, what do you know? It was three days away. I left just before everyone else because I was on the phone with our controller in the accounting offices in San Francisco, and he said, you've got to get back here.

[06:23]

We're broke. The cash flow from guest season. That's happening right now, too. So, yeah, we actually had no cash. So I had to go back to San Francisco and take care of that. And in 2013, we had one of the Tassajara Fire. Last year's Tassajara Fire was named Tassajara Fire because of Tassajara Road. It was actually closer to Jamesburg. It was Jamesburg. And in 2013, there was about 200 acre fire, roughly. just over that bridge. It was really close. It was really close. And they sent in a lot of personnel and a lot of... Ah, skies were filled. We didn't actually close. A lot of guests left.

[07:23]

There were times when we said, the road is open, you may leave. They let us know when the road would be open. Okay, you may leave. And most of them left. but we didn't actually evacuate. We didn't actually stop guest season. Some people chose to stay while tons of people and material. One day, there were 26 firefighting vehicles in guest parking and elsewhere in Taozahar. And people were coming through Taozahar, firefighters were coming through and going up the Upper Creek Trail, and they just, like, plowed this highway. I mean, when they get going, they can really just... They just cleared this highway from here over to up street, up Tassajara Creek, and fought the fire there. I think they regarded it as a good exercise. And then there was also the time that somebody came running down Tassajara Road in the middle of the night, barefoot,

[08:33]

yelling, I set the woods on fire! This was... Linda and I were living in the Flats cabin, so it must have been around 2005. I'm going to say 2005. I'm going to say 2005. And it was like 2 and 3 in the morning. Denny Bozulich was teaching... Sonia Garden Sports, how to make croissants. And they got up really early. And they were making good quality croissants in the famous Tassajara kitchen. And this guy came running. He was a little intoxicated. He had fallen asleep. Just like this Soberanas fire. A campfire that got out of control. And... Thank goodness. He couldn't run the other direction. But he came in here, and then we went up and we found it with clouds and so forth.

[09:38]

Actually, a few of us. And, believe it or not, fire extinguishers. Yeah. But we had to bushwhack up the road. The worst case of poison oak in my life. Okay, that way. The road, that way. North. Yeah. And then later on, Big Sur Station came and just kind of mopped it up. That was interesting. So, you know, this is where we live. It's part of what we live with. It comes with the territory. It's fire season. When Steph and I were putting all the sprinklers on top of buildings, we came up with this huge, great, fabulous business model, which I want to share with you now because nobody's ever done it. We're going to drive around California and put sprinklers on top of people's roofs for free, be a nonprofit, incorporate as a nonprofit.

[10:49]

Nobody owns the name Dharma Rain. How could it be a nonprofit? How can we do it for free? Well, the government and insurance companies will pay us to do it. And we'll just drive around and put fridgers on top of buildings, houses, all around California. It's a great idea. I chose to go ahead with the Z thing. So I freely give away that idea. Anybody who wants to take it up, as far as I know, nobody owns the name Dharma Rain. Sesshin is a Japanese word that means gathering the heart-mind. Gathering the heart-mind. It's a time of intensification of practice. So, actually, I got Jordan's permission.

[11:51]

Thank you for the water. I got Jordan's permission because he said it in one of these community meetings. And I was like, Snap. That's it. I agree. I agree strongly. It feels like sashim. Like sashim, our practice is intensified. Like sashim, feelings are intensified and magnified. In sashim, in the zendo, sometimes the server passes you with the spinach salad and they don't see your hands in gashou. And it's the end of the world. It's terrible. You're going to die. It's like a knife in your heart. Feelings can be intensified. Someone, you perceive that they're looking or they didn't bow. And it becomes more intense, more painful.

[12:53]

And also joy. and love, and intimacy. You might get a case of the giggles. It's an extraordinary time. In sashim, we do that on purpose. We create this extraordinary container. But sometimes, life does it for us. And I was thinking of... Actually, this might strike some of you as a little odd, but for me, it's pretty real. Parallel. I think what else was like life creating conditions like Sashin was when my mom was dying and I was there with my two sisters and

[13:59]

And like Linda said this morning in staff stand-up, we're kind of at this plateau. You know, we've been working very hard. We're prepared, but not complacent. I really like that. Steve Davis said, no complacency noted. And then... And then for the past 10 days, the fire has been more or less 10 miles away. I think it's a little closer now. But there's been this holding pattern going. Same thing happened when my mom was dying. She like hit this plateau. She was non-responsive and she lived that way for days and days. And we just sat with her. I mean... it's not like we could go anywhere.

[15:01]

It was our mom. We just stayed with her. And it got a little goofy from lack of sleep, from the heightened emotions. I'm so much more close to my sisters than I was before that experience. There's really something a quickening a certain quickening of experience of feeling that's what sasheen is like and I feel like that's what we're experiencing right now so let's hold this container together very closely how do we hold this container together? Men Mitsu no Kafu is like the slogan of Soto Zen.

[16:12]

It's what's on the calligraphy in the kitchen, on the kitchen altar. That Japanese calligraphy says Men Mitsu no Kafu, which means intimate attention to our family way. Or sometimes people say, careful attention to detail. Kafu actually means house breeze. You could think of it as the way we do things around here, our family way. Intimate attention, careful attention to that. Sojin Roshi, If I had a nickel for every time I heard him say, just take very good care of what's in front of you. That's the spirit. That is the spirit of practice.

[17:12]

Just take very good care of what's in front of you. So, you know, this is what's in front of us right now. This is what we're practicing with. With careful, loving attention. just making our best effort on each moment. That's what Suzuki Roshi said one time. Somebody asked him, what is Zen? He said, it's making your best effort on each moment forever. No complacency noted.

[18:25]

I quite appreciated that. Blanche used to talk about being doshi for service. And every time she was complacent, she said, every time I feel like, oh, I got this. I know what I'm doing. I've done this a million times. She makes a big mistake. So there's something about this practice. There's something about what it asks of us to bring our attention back over and over again. No complacency noted. Just taking very good care of whatever's in front of us. A cool breeze blows through the empty hall is a poetic expression about zazen.

[19:45]

Sojourn Roshi says about zazen on a good day. About zazen, ideally, maybe that's not always your experience. But it simply means, well, what I get from it anyway, what I'd like to share with you. The experience of zazen, what we sometimes refer to as just sitting, nothing happening. There's nothing happening, actually. Cool breeze blows through the empty hall. Not a whole lot going on. Nothing for you to do. No need to make it all about you. On the contrary.

[20:49]

In the 12-step work... By the way... I'm sorry... I acknowledge usually Sunday night is 12-step meeting, so that will happen tomorrow night. Sorry about that. The 12-step work. You often hear this expression, let go, let God. We don't talk about God much in Buddhism. Hardly at all. But we do talk about taking refuge in the triple treasure. It's a big relief. It's not all about me. The cool breeze blows through the empty hall.

[22:03]

nothing for me to fix, nothing to attain. Little by little, you can learn to trust that. Just bring this to give you something to carry. The Lotus Sutra, chapter 25, is about Avalokiteshvara. Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva. And it talks about the 33 bodies of Avalokiteshvara.

[23:10]

Do you know about the 33 bodies of very devotional. It's a very devotional scripture. You know about Avalokiteshvara, Kuan Yin, Kanzhe On, the Regarder of the Christ of the World? She comes to help. Sometimes you see her as having a thousand arms with some kind of implement or tool. at the end of each arm, literally helping hands. And then, you know, the implement might be a McLeod or a driver drill, a kitchen whisk, a two-stroke pump, a fire hose,

[24:16]

a steering wheel, a rake. You get the picture. Basically, the sutra says, however you need Avalokiteshvara to show up, that's how she will show up in your life. For those who need someone in the body of Maha Isvara in order to be saved, he appears as Mahayishvara and teaches the Dharma for them. For those who need someone in the body of an ordinary citizen in order to be saved, he appears as an ordinary citizen and teaches the Dharma for them. For those who need someone in the body of a boy or a girl in order to be saved, he appears as a boy or a girl, and on and on. However you need Abha-Lukiteshvara to show up. you can trust that she'll show up that way. The Regarder of the Cries of the World Bodhisattva, this Great One, is able to bestow freedom from fear on those who are faced with a frightening, urgent, or difficult situation.

[25:43]

This is why in this world, everyone gives her the name bestower of freedom from fear. So I don't think it's magic or automatic. I'm not talking about blind faith, but I propose that if we trust our practice and we trust each other, that the right Avalokiteshvara will show up moment after moment, and that you can trust in that. Taking refuge in the triple treasure, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha.

[26:46]

It's not about any one person. It's about working together, cultivating this trust and this love. In particular, lately, I've been thinking about taking refuge in Buddha. I've been trying to take refuge in Buddha as relating to the Buddha nature in each one and not so much the surface experience. Really seeing and relating to the Buddha in each of us. not knowing, but going forward with confidence in our way.

[28:31]

We can face a lot of things. We can remain present for a lot of things. And I think we can really trust our practice in each other. So thank you for your attention. That's all I wanted to say tonight. I told the director I'd give a short talk. She doubted that I was capable of that, but it's actually only 8.32. just for the record. So if somebody wants to say anything or ask a question or an appreciation, we can do that. Or we can get on home. Yes, please.

[29:45]

If you'd be willing to share how you see, I guess, seeing Guga and everybody, how is it? You know, it sounds nice, but how does that flesh out? Yeah. For me, it's about connection. What do we have in common? Warm hearts, warm hands, breathing together. The great Buddhist conspiracy. That's what conspiracy means, breathing together. Being together. Experiencing that connection. I guess I would say training, training the mind, training the heart to appreciate and feel that connection and emphasize that over the perceived

[31:19]

separation, the perceived differences. I'm not talking about some kind of Pollyanna whitewash or spiritual bypassing. I'm talking about actually noting that in our own bodies, feeling that, feeling what is our connection. And we bow, or shake hands, or hug, or pass the salt. You name it. That's pretty much the best I can do. Thank you. Here's another fun fact.

[32:29]

This is a three-for-three this summer, giving the talk on my personal day. Woo-hoo! May our attention equally extend to everything.

[32:48]

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