I'm very happy to see all of you. Thank you for coming. And thank you for coming to work period or continuing to live here and work through the summer. It's a challenge. So first, modeling after Greg and the way he starts his talks, I want to thank my teacher, Norman Fisher, who has given me great support and trust for a very long time, and I greatly appreciate it. And also I want to thank Leslie and Greg and Linda here at Tazahara, who have also given me great support and encouragement for many years. It makes a big difference. Well, this evening we're going to talk a bit about one of my favorite subjects, the meal chant. We all have been chanting it every day, twice a day.

[01:05]

Some people here have been chanting it for years and some people have been chanting it as part of a longer chant that's used during Oriyoki meals in the Zendo or during Sashin's at other temples. The part that we chant here at Tazahara during this time is referred to as the five contemplations. And it also continues with the portion that is used during bowl raising during the meal. And the chant we've used, you may have noticed, is only done at breakfast and lunch. That's because it's for meals. Dinner... is not a meal. It may look like a meal. However, what it really is, is medicine. And in our Yoki and in monastic practice, the evening meal, we have two bowls instead of three.

[02:12]

And the main bowl, the entree, is referred to as medicine bowl. It used to be called gruel. It's been upgraded to medicine bowl. And the second bowl is some form of fresh vegetable. And as you may know from some of the Theravadan teachings, They still only eat two meals a day, concluding before noon. But in the late afternoon or early evening, they are allowed, like a tea, they can have particular foods. Cheese cubes, candied ginger, chocolate, some other candies, and tea with milk. So this developed in part as Buddhism migrated from India into China, where the monks... started to cultivate food and be farmers and they needed more energy and also as they moved into areas that were colder climates and they needed more fuel just to get through the night. So medicine was introduced as a way of kind of sustaining the health and well-being of the monks and then also of the nuns.

[03:17]

In addition to the little tidbit about why the evening meal isn't a meal, Some of you who may be new here or hadn't pursued this before may not know what's happening when those drums are beating before we start the chant every day. Because you know what's going on. First you hear the umpan, and then you hear the drum rolls with a bump, and bump, bump, and a bump, bump, bump, and then we go clap and we start chanting. What's happening during those drum rolls is our Eno, or her representative, is taking a tray from the kitchen, from the altar at the kitchen and walking up into the zendo to the altar in the zendo and making an offering to the Buddha with little bowls and a little miniature chopstick and a little bitty spoon with samplings of the foods that are being presented at the meals, also only for breakfast and lunch. So those drumbeats have to do with how the Eno is making the presentation to the altar for the Buddha for his meal.

[04:21]

So that's another little piece of information. when I walk into discussions of the meal chant, which I've done once before in a different format, what I thought about are the forms and traditions of saying grace, to give thanks or to bless a meal. For many of us, we're Zen students as a second spiritual practice. Many of us come into this as young adults or older people, and we have these other traditions. And many of these, especially around food, saying grace, being grateful, having a blessing of some kind, is something that we still hold in our hearts or resonate with when we're back in an environment where that's taking place, whether it's Thanksgiving or a family meal or some other occasion. Saying grace may be a short-spoken prayer or unvoiced intention made before or after eating.

[05:24]

thanking God or another entity or entities that have given themselves to furnish the meal. Some see grace as a blessing that sanctifies the meal or a recognition of a plant or animals giving their life for us to have the meal. I was looking at this interesting book. I love going to bookstores and perusing the used bookshelves. So I found this one a while ago, Wake Up and Cook. Kitchen Buddhism in Words and Recipes. It's a tricycle book. And in a section called Grace, here's a couple of excerpts from some writing by Gary Snyder. Eating is a sacrament. The grace, we say, clears our hearts and guides the children and welcomes the guests all at the same time. Anyone can use a grace from their own tradition, and really give it meaning, or make up their own.

[06:25]

Saying some sort of grace is never inappropriate, and speeches and announcements can be tacked onto it. It is a plain, ordinary, old-fashioned little thing to do that connects us with all our ancestors. So a couple of other examples of blessings at meals. There's the Jewish prayer in this case, the one made over bread often before every meal. Which is thanking the Lord who brings forth bread from the earth. And then there are two ecumenical prayers that you may be familiar with. That voice gratitude. God is great. God is good. let us thank him for our food.

[07:26]

Or another version, for what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful. And another version of our own meal chant that is a little shorter than the one we use, is we venerate the three treasures and give thanks for this food, the work of many people and the suffering of other forms of life. So returning to the meal verse we use, the full version includes sections during the whole process of the Oriyoki meal. The first part identifies the locations and events in Buddha's life, starting with Buddha was born in Kapalavastu and goes until his death. The next part is when bowls are being taken out and placed in front on that board. And as you sit in the taan, there's that board in front. That's where the meals are presented. Concluding with, may we realize the emptiness of the three wheels, giver, receiver, and gift.

[08:35]

Really important to think about. Giver, receiver, and gift. They're all intertwined. Then the next section cites the names of the Buddha invoking them in our presence. The section after that is a food offering verse that's given at breakfast and a different version at lunch. Then comes what's referred to as the five contemplations, which is part of what we chant here, followed by the bowl raising verse. We're going to come back to that in a moment. The final parts are the verse for the water we use to wash our bowls because the Oriyoki meal is all contained in the place, including the washing and the disposal of the water that you've used to wash your bowls. And then there's a closing verse offered as a solo by the Kokyo, which refers to abiding in this ephemeral world like a lotus in muddy water. And that concludes the whole meal at the time. As discussed by Dogen in his Pure Standards for the Zen Community,

[09:41]

and by other Buddhist teachers, notably Shohaku Okumura, who has a chapter on the meal verses in his book, Living by Vow, and there are copies of that in the library, as are copies of Pure Standards for the Zen Community by Dogen, which discuss the preparing, serving, and eating of food among the activities in our daily lives that become spiritual practice. And from Dogen, that practice itself is enlightenment, and that the Dharma is itself food, and food is itself Dharma, reality itself. So, the box of chant cards for the meal verse are back on the serve up there. Why don't we pass those around, because we're going to chant this together. If you already know it, I know there are not as many cards as there are people here, so can you pass those around? Is the box there?

[10:42]

Yeah, Aaron brought it in. And we're going to do it a little slower than usual and think about the words, and then I'm going to come back and give a little explanation. While those are being passed out, don't shout any of this information, but how many of you know who the four benefactors are? Not too many. That's a semi-trick question, but it's a really interesting piece of information. That's right up there with why we don't chant for the meal that isn't a meal in the evening. Are the cards passed around? We're going to start, okay? We reflect on the effort that brought us this food and consider how it comes to us. We reflect on our virtue and practice and whether we are worthy of this offering.

[11:46]

We regard it as essential to keep the mind free from excesses such as greed. We regard this food as good medicine to sustain our life. For the sake of enlightenment, we now receive this food. First, this is for the three treasures. Next, for the four benefactors. Finally, for the beings in the six realms, may all be equally nourished. The first portion is to end all evil. The second is to cultivate all good. The third is to free all beings. May we all realize the Buddha way. So, Here's some of the meaning behind those words. Whoops, this is falling off now. We reflect on the effort that brought us this food and consider how it comes to us.

[12:50]

We're expressing gratitude for the immeasurable work from the producers, the farmers, the purveyors, the sources of the food, as well as, of course, to the earth, the sun, the water, the fire, the wind, and other contributions. to what creates the food that we enjoy. We reflect on our virtue and practice and whether we are worthy of this offering. Are we acting with ethical behavior? Are we giving everything a wholehearted effort? Are we being kind and compassionate toward others? We want to recognize our interconnection with all beings, and how we interact with others. We regard it as essential to keep the mind free from excesses such as greed. We want to avoid unwholesome actions and the three poisons of greed, hate or anger, and delusion or ignorance.

[14:00]

It's important to remember that part of that one that's referred to usually as delusion is ignorance. our own and that of others, and to recognize our ignorance for so much. We regard this food as good medicine to sustain our life. This is our middle way, neither indulgence nor self-mortification. It's good medicine. We get to enjoy it as well, but it's there for our nourishment. For the sake of enlightenment, we now receive this food. We receive and eat this food in order to attain the way. The next section, which is part of the bowl raising during the oryoki meal, is an expression of gratitude and repaying kindnesses, thinking of them, giving them acknowledgement. The three treasures, those you probably got down, Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

[15:03]

Next, the four benefactors. Parents, teachers, teachers at any level, Buddha, your teacher, your Zen teacher, your Buddhist teacher, teachers you've enjoyed and appreciated and who've helped you, who've been benefactors for your development in your life. The third, the first time I heard this explained, the expression was the emperor. which is really the rulers, the leaders, and actually the government that helps provide us a civil society. And the fourth one is expressed variously as homeland, all beings, or the world, the four benefactors. Finally, for the beings in the six realms may all be equally nourished. Those beings in the hell realm, The hungry ghosts, those are the ones with the big bellies and the tiny little necks so they can't get the food that they're so hungry for down.

[16:14]

They have a lot of suffering. Animals, the Ashuras or the fighting spirits. The human beings, that's us. And the heavenly beings. Then the last part is similar to our vows. The first portion is to end all evil. We want to stop unwholesome deeds. The second is to cultivate all good. We want to nourish wholesome deeds. And the third is to free all beings, to help others cross to the other side from samsara to nirvana. May we all realize the Buddha way. Now, since this talk is not a spectator sport, for those of you who've been at talks I've given before, turn to somebody nearby, next to you or behind you, and then I'm going to tell you what we do next.

[17:23]

Okay. So here's the drill. I'll ring the little bell. You'll take a moment just to settle. And one of the two of you will start. And you'll have four minutes. When I ring the bell again, finish the statement or sentiment that you have. Take a breath. And I'll ring the bell again. And the second person has four minutes. Let the person talk without crosstalk. Give that person the greatest gift of your full attention. So here are some things you can talk about. How do you feel when you chant the meal verse? Do you have any other traditions or blessings of saying grace in your life that are important to you? And how did you or do you relate to them? Another possibility is, are there any particular words, phrases, or lines in the meal chant? that you are particularly drawn to or feel distant from.

[18:36]

And if something else has arisen as a source of this discussion, you're welcome to share that as well. So I'll ring the bell. The first person will have about four minutes. Then the second person will have four minutes after the next bell. And then we'll come back together to share what you've discovered. Okay? Any questions? So I know we're kind of really full house here. So talk both quietly, but make sure the person you're talking with hears you, okay? Okay. Hey.

[19:57]

Oh, yeah. [...] So, are you eating? Yes. Like this or something? Sure. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And then he was also, he had to know where I am.

[21:08]

So you give them, and so [...] you give them. I'm not there. I'm not there. Sit back. Thank you. Thank you. You know, you can get to talk about just one hour and you can get to the end of it.

[22:18]

You can get to the end of it. [...] Okay, I'm going to get back to step one. I'm going to stretch. [...] Okay, so just finish up whatever your thought was there. Take a breath, give yourself a moment. Sounded good? Okay, second person. Oh, what can you say?

[23:40]

So, my first time is going to create a big one that you can do. It's interesting to me that I like the mood. I just agree that I like left, and I guess the kids are true. But she said, yeah. I'm sure it's up to you. I think there's a different way for it. I like this, particularly when you like that.

[24:51]

I think it's funny. [...] Yeah, man, it looks like it's pretty interesting. It's still made all day out of it. I like those. I like those. Yeah, I think first you get to sit there. Mm-hmm. Japanese, Japanese. Japanese, Japanese. I'm scared of it. So there was kind of a way to do this, like, eight weeks to 30 percent. I think that's okay. I'm more proud of it. But I'm a member of the candidates.

[25:51]

There's a word that I like there. I say no. [...] I don't know. I don't know. I mean, it's the U, the bottom, the tabs, the definitive rooms, the whole space of my home. Right? So I just, like, hold it. So every little brain that we've seen, you know, from that, you've got some energy. So they're very efficient, kind of, kind of, kind of. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. So it turned out to be more odd. It's okay. It's interesting that they really developed the art in order to, so, if you get something that you need to learn, to let all of those, you know, dance on, you know, each hand, and then, but I was... I guess I like it as nice as the art. That's it. That's it. That sounded like fun.

[27:07]

It really did. I love the buzz in the room. It's great. So, what did you discuss? What would you like to share? Make any discoveries or recollections? Yes. I just think that our appreciation of how our food gets to us. You know, we have a society that really has turned into one of this great reward for entertainment. You know, if you're an athlete, if you're a performer, if you're a singer, somehow we idolize those people and support them in such a generous way, and yet the food that sustains us, the food that is our medicine that we speak of, and we all know it to be true. We all know we need fear. Some of us live a vegan life, but others of us eat. you know, different types of food, unhealthy foods. And we know when we come here, we feel so refreshed and so revitalized by the food that's available. So Jay and I were discussing the concept of how farmers seem to be, they're always the shun ones, they're always the poorest ones, they're good in the least, they're respected in the least, and yet they provide us such an analogy.

[28:12]

So I think in our conversation, both of us agreed that it would be great to spend time really honoring that in that morning prayer to say, hey, How amazing is it that not only was this food delivered, but for the people to prepare the food, for all that goes into giving us this life-sustaining and energizing and empowering medicine. Yes, very much so. That's what's in the words. Thank you for bringing them out. Someone else? Thoughts? Revelations? Something to share? Yes! Hi, Bill. Can you speak up a little bit? It's a lovely aspect.

[29:18]

You again. When we do our chant in the morning, we tend to embrace a monotone style. Is that for a sense of community? It's kind of how we chant in our temples. Except for the refuges. That's notably different. I don't know. Anybody have an idea? I'm not sure what the reason is. Whether it's just it came that way or... Does anybody have an insight that I'm not aware of? I told Jan. I say that because last night in the Zendo, I don't know who the female was. It was so beautiful. She was actually chanting at the Zendo in a harmony with the first time I heard someone harmonize. In the Pali refuges at the end of the evening? Yeah. That's the one chant. It's chanted in Pali. That does have people start harmonizing sometimes like three parts and...

[30:20]

It really is. It's unusual for us, and it stands out. Most of our other chants are of a more monotone style. Some groups do it more spoken with a little bit of emphasis on things, but a lot of them still do. We still do them kind of straight out. The other traditions, Shasta Abbey had a tradition of chanting in a... plain song style, gregarian. And they had an organ. They have an organ up there. It used to be played to accompany it. And the Theravadans have a... When Ajahn Amaro came here when I was here in 1999, they chanted the Heart Sutra in their style. Very different as well. Yeah. Anything else about the meal chant? Yes. I just think it's... to take the time to be grateful for food and something that not all beings or all humans have access to as we do and it's easy to take for granted how much energy goes into food not just by the people producing but for the plant itself

[31:41]

We're talking about this. It takes months for a tomato to exist, to come to its existence. When we look at a tomato, oh, it's just a tomato. Yeah, it's a lot. All the earth and sun. I just thought it was really nice that we stopped to acknowledge that. Acknowledge how lucky we are to have access to both medicine or two or three. It's true. At Green Gulch Farm at Thanksgiving, there used to be a separate harvest event, but now it's been combined with Thanksgiving. They put up this, put all samples of the produce from the farm and the garden and the altar, and it's quite an amazing visual feast. And in the service before we eat, there's a reading of how many pounds and how many bushels and how many bouquets of lavender and, you know, the run through the hole. production from that season. And then one year it ended.

[32:42]

And a bouncing baby boy. So we have a bouncing baby girl here as far as what this community has seen come forward. Yeah, so anything else? Anybody else have something? Yes. Hi. Hi. Mm-hmm. [...] the help of nature and actually how beautiful that cycle is because that work is practice in a sense which then continually nourishes practice so that you can practice.

[34:00]

Right. And the fact that it's not one or the other or one separated from the other. Practice in our daily lives and everything that we're doing at the time are all part of practice of zazen and the practice of others is all practice comes together and that leads us for the opportunity for enlightenment and for helping nourish and save all beings which is a big vow that we take every day so hopefully this may have given you a little insight into the meal verse and hopefully you might think about these the meanings behind it when you chant it not you don't have to do it every day i i actually adopted chanting this at home or wherever I am since about 1998, because I really love it. I think it's very moving, and the meanings are touching. Yes, Ash? When you're alone, do you say we or I? Where? You said when you chant when you're at home.

[35:04]

I chant. If you're by yourself, do you say we reflect or I? Oh, I say we. Yeah, I feel there's other folks out there as well. Yeah, because it's like certain kind of events that happen at times of year, holidays, traditions. There's a moment when you feel like you may be alone or you may be in an outlying location, but so many other people that you know in that tradition are doing the same thing on that day at that time. So it's a way of feeling connected. I've... I've been blessed with being part of Zen Center since the late 80s and especially since the mid-90s. It's deeply important and it helps me feel connected even when I'm not here or when I was at Green Gulch when I'm not there anymore. Things like that. I think we is fundamental. It helps me feel less alone too sometimes. And hopefully you're chanting for me too.

[36:06]

I figure we're all in this together in any case. So the more the merrier. This is a good thing. Any final questions or comments? Anything else? Bernard. Sam and I were talking about the worthiness of the suffering and how we both sort of felt like it was a sort of reminder of... sometimes how ungrateful I am for certain things, especially when it comes to onions. Oh, onions. Yeah, no onions for Bernard. Stuff like that. Sorry, good luck. But, yeah, there's a sort of reminder in there just to sort of like to see what actually is happening in terms of practice. And so it's very nice to sort of like be reminded. Oh. Great. Thank you very much. Well, I think we better conclude because it's about the time that we'd be leaving the Zendo.

[37:07]

Thank you all so much for being here. I really appreciate it.

[37:14]

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