Now the title of my brief talk this morning is Sharing the Same Boat. How can we practice oneness in this world of differences? And given the many difficult and sad things right now, I thought it would be good to talk about a teaching which is from a beautiful and inspiring essay by Zen Master Dogen called Bodhisatta Shishoho. Actually, we have studied this text together with our Sangha in the last year, and we have returned to it again and again as a source of encouragement. Now the title, Bodhisatta Shishuru, as many of you know, has been translated as the Bodhisattvas' Four Methods of Guidance or the Bodhisattvas' Four Embracing Actions. And it is a relatively... that can give us guidance in what the day-to-day activities of a bodhisattva may look like.

[01:04]

Now, for the purpose of this talk this morning, I would like to concentrate on the fourth of these teachings. However, all of these four teachings are with each other, and so I would like to touch on them briefly. The first teaching is giving or to share what we have. dana the second teaching is kind speech and these are words that help others another person's heart the third teaching is beneficial action endurance words this means to create skillful means to benefit living beings and he also writes beneficial action is an act of oneness benefiting self and others together and this This theme of oneness sort of carries over to the fourth teaching, and that is identity action.

[02:07]

And this phrase, identity action, is a little bit harder to understand. We know both of these words, but we have not seen them together. The original Japanese expression is doji. And in Kasta Nahashi's comment to the Shubu Genso, it says doji literally means same thing. So do means the same or equal, and chi can be translated as thing, matter, or task. So do chi, identity action, has also been translated as one thing, one shared concern, acting together as one, sharing the same aim. And I think, or I feel that chi having the connotation Pask is also important because it points out that it is not just about having warm thoughts in our minds, but about activity about giving expression to it about showing it.

[03:10]

Interestingly, there's an earlier version of these four virtues in the Palikana. The chaos and here the fourth teaching is described as and I quote being the same in both happiness and suffering. This means sitting together with them, living together, and eating together. Isn't that sweet somehow? And doesn't this remind us of the expression in the same boat, recognizing that we all share fundamentally the same aim, namely to seek happiness and to transform our suffering? Now let's take a look at Dogen's text. Dogen writes, identity action means non-difference friends from self and non-difference from others when we know identity action others and self are one so identity action means not to be different and this means oneness right it means that everything that appears you think shares one source one reality however how

[04:23]

Firmly do we often hold on to the idea that we are separate and different from other people and from the rest of all the things in our lives, which again is often the source of our misery. The action in turn then would mean dropping that and returning to the one reality we are all part of. Hogan also says. Identity action is non difference from self now. What does he mean by that? Do we ever think we are different from ourselves? I think there's a deep spiritual level where we can be in separation with ourselves when we are not who we are truly, when we are not living fully, when we inhibit ourselves or our potential, or in Buddhist expression, when we do not live our vows. a more psychological level, we all know too well, where we can be in separation with ourselves.

[05:29]

Just recall one moment of self-judgment, something like, why did I do that? Or I shouldn't have said that. Feel like there's someone standing next to you scolding you. And non-difference, in turn, identity action is the opposite of that. It means entering completely into your life. so that everything that is apart, that is separated, can merge and heal again, as well as with others. So now that we have looked a little bit into what identity action means, let us explore some questions how we could translate this into our practice. How does identity action show in everyday life? Is it something that we Consciously do or is it rather the fruit of our practice and if so, how can we prepare for it? Do we have to add something do we have to make an effort or do we have to let go of something?

[06:34]

To begin I would like to share two personal stories Now sometimes there may be moments when we have glimpses of being one of sharing the same boat and we may be conscious of that. When I was in my early twenties and when I started working with, I often felt overwhelmed and helpless by what I encountered by all the suffering of the broken lives. And after some of the more difficult encounters, I would sometimes think to myself, I'm not going through this. Of course, that was my defense. And of course, from one perspective, that's also true, but it's not the whole truth. Because with this simple thought, I'm not going through this. I began to delude myself that I was separate from them. And I remember one Sunday afternoon, I was called to an elderly gentleman with whom I happened to share the same birthday.

[07:47]

And not only that, he was exactly 50 years older than I was. And of course, I felt connected with him. And also, I started to feel in my heart that 50 years from now, maybe I could be actually in his situation. I could be him. And a short time later, while standing at the bed of a sick person, a small crack appeared in my armor of separation. moment there was the certainty that this person is me and i'm this person and this suffering is also my suffering deep kinship and this small insight was really nothing spectacular just like more like a small opening towards a part allow a deeper connection with other people and of course there are those moments when we seem to be very, very far away from Dogen's non-difference and, in fact, are feeling explicitly different from each other.

[08:53]

All the difficult emotions triggered by a wonderful example for this, as you all know, and in fact, a wonderful practice opportunity. So a week before we came here, I was on the phone with my father, who at that time was struggling with a health problem, which I assessed as serious and so it's him to go to the hospital and to get some help something that he absolutely did not want to do and in my perception I thought he did not believe me so what happened next was very interesting just for a brief moment I could see that here comes something that is beyond my control and like karma unfolding and with all the myriad ways we are connected to each other as family. And one moment later, I myself was completely 100% identified with my own that was relating to his father, with emotions flying high, anger, shame, and so on.

[10:04]

And we got into an argument, which I felt at that time very sorry about. Now the next day we reconciled and apologized to each other. So what struck me in this context, when we both were in an argument, were we really different or not different? And perhaps we could be more generous in how we try to understand identity action. I feel that what led to this situation, that my father and I are indeed deeply connected, one by the same blood, the same habitual tendencies, the same personality quirks, and connected by deep love. And maybe not if difference from self and others is bigger than we dare to think big enough and gracious enough to hold all of our human imperfections, our habits, our foolishness,

[11:07]

our needing to take a break once in a while. So let us for a moment take the liberty to the meaning of identity action beyond the social context of relationships as it was originally implied. And of course, the place we all know where we will meet non-difference from self and others is our meditation cushion. practice of susan just recall the well-known passage of humans and took one to study the buddha way is to study the self looking from the perspective of non difference from self we could say this is to get to know yourself into to be completely with yourself to be completely who you are and In the Goan, it further says, to study the self is to forget the self.

[12:11]

To forget the self is to be enlightened by the 10,000 things. So when we loosen the grip on our deeply ingrained sense of self, then there's no difference from others, no separation. The world appears, the 10,000 things come forward, and there is awakening. Or in Kastanahashi's beautiful translation, To forget the self is to be the myriad things. Then there's no difference. And this is what Dogen's points to when he writes, when we know identity action, others and self are one. How can we practice this? And there's a great teaching that has helped me a lot. I understand how to prepare the ground for no difference for identity action. And this is by returning to a subtle openness of the mind. This teaching is from Suzuki Roshi from the book Zen Mind Beginner's Mind.

[13:16]

Readiness, mindfulness. He said, the important thing in our understanding is to have a smooth, free thinking way of observation. Our mind should be soft and open enough to understand things as they are. Just to see things with our whole mind is Sazen practice. So the point is to be ready for observing things. This is called emptiness of the mind. Emptiness is nothing but the practice of Sazen. So what Suzuki Roshi does here, he encourages us to cultivate a readiness of the mind that, in his words, is smooth, soft, and open. We could call it a gentle readiness or a soft readiness. He describes an open, flexible mind and that we need to be open for anything. And there is a great vulnerability in this openness of the mind because we are ready for anything to arise and we are ready to receive it.

[14:27]

And when we are ready, when our minds are ready, we are resting in the truth that anything can arrive, we will meet it and we will be able to meet it. And in this readiness, there is no separation. And we are deeply connected to ourselves as well as to others. And here there is no difference. How can we return of our minds We can simply remind ourselves to be ready. Many of you know the story of Suigan, the old Zen master hermit who would address himself during the day repeatedly. Suigan, and he would answer, yes. Suigan, yes. The choice to be present and then affirm it again and again. Now, it is not easy to use words or language to communicate about something like identity action has to be experienced and has to be expressed.

[15:41]

And sometimes poetry can give us a hint about things that are difficult to say in common language. And I would like to share a poem by Jose Ausländer, whom we honor, that starts with, the theme that Shuin was talking about on Saturday, for those who heard her talk, namely fear, and then moves on to another place. This poem is from Rose Ausländer, when she had been bedridden for a long time already. The title is in German, Noch bist du hier. You're here still. Throw your fear into the air. Soon your time's over. Soon heaven grows. Thus your dreams fall into nowhere. Still the carnation smells sweetly.

[16:45]

The thrush sings. Still you may laugh. Give words away. You are here still. Be what you are. Give. I would like to end with a few questions and suggestions that have helped me working and practicing with that non-difference or identity action. And perhaps you might find useful. So how does identity action show and feel in your life? How can you express this being one today And now in this moment. Return to the soft readiness of your mind again and. When there's difference with others, try to offer to offer kind words. When there is difference with self, speak to yourself kindly.

[17:49]

Once in a while, put all your identities aside and let yourself. and be who you are, give what you have. I would like to thank you very much for your attention, and I'm interested to hear your thoughts, comments, and questions. Nansan, thank you so much. I can definitely identify with your action this morning presenting Dogen's Dharma to us. For those who would like to engage with Nanzan, please raise your digital hand and Karen will call on you. Nanzan's email is also in the chat in the event you're not able to reach him today. You can contact him by email. Laurie.

[18:54]

Greetings. Hi, Nanzan. You know, as you were talking about, I connected so much with what you were saying about Identity Action, and it felt like a big, safe, warm pool to join us all together in about how connected we are and being with a group of people who can share that. you know, to some degree at least. We don't know everybody's every thought, but something like that. We're all here for kind of something related. And then there's just the gap between the incredible domination in the world of this gap between self and other and us and them, my group, the others, you know, whether it's one individual. I mean, I don't even know how to... encompass that you know in that or or connect through through through and through that gap you know do you have any words of you know oh your words are very encouraging but if you know like how how do you connect with people who are refusing to connect with others i think you know what i was talking about today's so

[20:23]

it's the deep truth but there's that we are all connected and basically fundamentally not different from each other but there's also the truth that we are different here also difference and the the art is to find a balance between these two and that that we not to forget that we are connected and think in you know for practitioners of you know um spiritual paths right now holding this what is you know the intense divisiveness and the collective trauma going on in the world one task would be just allowing that pain to feel you know and not cutting ourselves that to the degree we can manage That's how I feel it, you know, and it's a challenge and it's not easy.

[21:29]

At the same time, there's a great strength in that if we start, if we don't close the door, if we strive and go again to the point again and again to keep our hearts and minds open. Thank you. Thank you, Laurie. Hanko, you're next. Thank you, Nansan, so much for your talk and for your stimulation. I was only just reading something saying that in our oneness we also have to honor our two-ness. And so when we see our own upset can recognize, okay, I'm upset. When we see others upset, oftentimes we take that into ourselves and call it our truth, our fault, and accept those blames in order to be sympathetic, perhaps, or how would we avoid, in other words, taking in other as other and having it come out of ourselves in a non-toxic

[22:47]

way I think or I feel that you know one of the of our practice is that we widen our container so to say so that we can hold first of all all the different parts of ourselves that we can recognize them and we can just hold them that means letting them be as they are also the parts we maybe don't want to identify that much you know with or like I don't know short temper or something like that you know that's me that's also me so and from that we I don't know it's probably not but I feel that this larger container extends also to other people so then we when we encounter difficulties with other people and it's we can hold the two that's that's not the one particular difficulty is not the whole person that's uh engaging with me the whole person has also many many parts and besides those disagreeable parts there may be also many agreeable parts which i don't see right now in the moment

[24:18]

Bigger container is the word. Thank you, Nansan, and thank you, Heiko, for a great question. We can look, yes. Sue Moon, looks like you'll be having the last opportunity today to ask a question or comment to Nansan. Thank you. Thank you, Nansan, for your really kind and reassuring talk. Encouraging talk, not reassuring, but encouraging. It's so difficult to be reassuring in this time. But my question is about times when I think there's too much identity. And I have just had a wonderful visit with one of my grown sons and experience with my children who are adults and with my grandchildren and with other people that I love dearly and I'm close to. But I particularly noticed it with my children. It's part of being a parent in a way. I identify so much with them and any suffering of theirs, and I want so much for them to have a happy life, and I want everything to go well in their lives, which it doesn't always, every moment, of course.

[25:33]

And sometimes I'm aware of the fact that merging an identity with them is not helpful to them or me. And then I want to let them be kind of that story you told about yourself. Well, his suffering is not my suffering when you were a young man, ill person, that there's some measure of that that's actually wholesome to be able to remember, well, he's his own person. He has to work this out. I can continue to love him and support him, but it's not for me to take this on. So how do you balance that out? it's difficult i think we shouldn't be too strict with ourselves and we shouldn't you know not avoid dogmatic thinking we are human beings and we love our family members you love your children and you are of course you are identified with them and you want the best for them and the fact reflecting this from you know that's excellent that's the best you can do and we have our follies and our our attachments

[26:47]

That's also okay. That's what I feel of being a human being connected to others, you know, with all the pain that comes with it. And it's nothing I have read in that with these words, but that's what I would say because I feel that is true. Thank you.

[27:11]

@Transcribed_UNK
@Text_v005
@Score_97.87