I vow to taste the truth of God's eternal words. Do we. Do we. OK, we have some unsurpassed dharma. Here it comes, the unsurpassed dharma. OK, go stand in front, OK? Parents, too, if you want. OK, so stand over here, and boom, all three. OK, sing along with us. We're going to sing, surprisingly, we're going to sing the first song first, and the second song It's pretty easy to follow along.

[01:02]

We are all the leaves of one tree. We are all the leaves of one tree. The time has come for all to live as one. We are all the leaves of one tree. We are all the stars in one sky. We are all the stars in one sky. The time has come for all to live as one. We are all the stars in one sky.

[02:04]

We are all the waves in one sea. We are all the waves in one sea. The time has come for all to live as one. We are all the waves in one sea. OK. Our second song is about the Buddha sitting under the Bodhi tree. Are you ready? Let's just go on the stage. One, two, three, four. There's old Buddha sitting under the Bodhi tree, Bodhi tree. There's old Buddha's mind as empty as it can be, it can be.

[03:08]

Sitting like a bump on a log, log Sitting like a wise old frog, frog Sitting with a smile on his face, face Kind of like empty space, space Does the mind reign? Does the mind plunder? What could bother a Buddha, I wonder? It's a party! He wasn't bothered by the party. He wasn't bothered by the party. He just let that party go rock and by, go rock and by. One, two, three, four. There's old Buddha sitting under the Bodhi tree, Bodhi tree.

[04:16]

There's old Buddha, mind as empty as it can be, it can be. Sitting like a bump on the wall, wall. Sitting like a wise old frog, frog. Sitting with just one arm in space, space. Kind of like empty space, space. Does it mind rain? Does it mind thunder? What could bother a Buddha, I wonder? It's a... Dog! Is the dog is going to go? Barking. He wasn't bothered by a dog. He wasn't bothered by a dog. He just let that dog go barking and crying, go barking and crying.

[05:19]

One, two, three, four. There's old Buddha, sitting on the river, Bodhi tree, Bodhi tree. There's old Buddha, mind as empty as it can be, it can be. Sitting like a bump on a log, log. Sitting like a wise old frog, frog. Sitting with a smile on his face, face. Kind of like empty space, space. Doesn't mind rain. Doesn't mind thunder. What could bother the Buddha, I wonder? A monster. And the monster's going to go. Roar. Roaring by.

[06:20]

Okay. He wasn't bothered by a monster. He wasn't bothered by a monster. He just let that monster go roaring by, go roaring by. And one, two, three, four. There's old Buddha sitting under a Bodhi tree, Bodhi tree. There's old Buddha, mind as empty as it can be, it can be. Sitting like a monk on a watch or a clock Sitting like a wise old frog, frog Sitting with a smile on his face, face Kind of like empty space, space Doesn't mind rain, doesn't mind thunder What could bother the Buddha, I wonder

[07:26]

What do you think the pizza should do? Go like crunching noise. Okay. He wasn't bothered by the pizza. He wasn't bothered by the pizza. He just let that pizza go crunching by, go crunching by. There's old Buddha sitting under the Bodhi tree, Bodhi tree. There's old Buddha, mind as empty as it can be, as it can be. Sitting like a bump on a log, log. Sitting like a wise old frog, frog. Sitting with a smile on his face, face, kind of like empty space.

[08:36]

Does the mind rain? Does the mind thunder? What could Father of Buddha I wonder? Let's do that one. A plastic chocolate chip cookie. What does the cookie do? It goes crumbling. Or smelling by? Smelling. Smelling. Smelling. He wasn't bothered by a cookie. He wasn't bothered by a cookie. He just let that cookie go smelling by, go smelling by. Last one. Let's make it good. There. Oh, you're going to do, do you want to do one too, Hazel? OK. You do? All right. Two more. There's old Buddha sitting under the Bodhi tree, Bodhi tree.

[09:43]

There's old Buddha, mind as empty as it can be, it can be. Sitting like a pom-pom, pom-pom. Sitting like a wise old frog, frog. Sitting with a smile on his face, face. Kind of like empty space. Doesn't mind rain, doesn't mind thunder. What could bother the Buddha, I wonder? Money. What is the money going to do? Jingling? Jingling? What do you think about jingling? Jingling? OK. He wasn't bothered by money. He wasn't bothered by money.

[10:47]

He just spent that money. Oh, jingling pie. Oh, jingling pie. OK, last one. And this time, we're going to have Buddha A woman. OK? So she will be sitting under the Bodhi tree. OK? Very last one. Let's make it good. OK? There's old Buddha sitting under the Bodhi tree, Bodhi tree. There's old Buddha, mind as empty as it can be. It can be sitting like a bum on a log, sitting like a wise old frog, sitting with a smile on her face, kind of like empty space. What could bother the Buddha, I wonder?

[11:56]

What does she have? What do you think the cell phone should do? Ring. With ring, OK. She wasn't bothered by a cell phone. She wasn't bothered by a cell phone. She just let that cell phone go ringing by, go ringing by. OK, remember what we do at the end? Let's go ahead and set the winds down, so let's do our bidding. Ready? OK, ready, everybody? OK, let's go sit down. Do we want to give a kiss around for the audience? I don't know.

[13:11]

Well, that's a hard act to follow. I want to thank Tamara and all the people who participated in making that work. I'm going to give a little talk about Buddha's birthday. Shakyamuni Buddha actually was born somewhere around 2,500 years ago. Just a long time ago. 2,500 years. Somewhere around there. Nobody knows for sure. And when Buddha was born, Here's a little baby, seven days after he was born. Now, you may not believe this, but he took seven steps.

[14:44]

Wow, that's really something for a baby. So he took seven steps in each direction and bowed. And then he said, put one hand pointing to the sky and one hand pointing to the ground. And he said, I am connected to everything. I am one with everything. That's why the world honors me. Because I realize that I am connected to the sky and the earth and it's a complete circle. The birds are my wings. The earth is my body, the sky is my body, the planets are my body. I don't have any limitation. I am one with. The word one, the word alone, alone has two meanings.

[15:56]

What does alone mean? means all by myself. And the other meaning of alone is one with everything. Alone. The basic meaning is the opposite of separation. It means total connection. to mean separate, separation, distinction. So that's two meanings, and both meanings are right. We are alone, we are separate, and at the same time, we are one with everything. This is Buddha's message. So, I'm going to read you a story.

[17:04]

about Buddhism, which includes both of those meanings. So this is a story. that no one ever sees them. There are deer. The singular and plural are mixed up. There are deer who live so deep in a certain forest that no one ever sees them. People call them the Sarabah. My little one, if you listen, when all the world is quiet and the sun is One day, Hakeem was hunting in the forest. And he went in so far, so far that one of these fair Sarabhas passed within his view, maybe behind the tree.

[18:22]

You can see that movement. And then he suddenly saw the Sarabha. Who are you, beautiful creature, he cried. He didn't say that. But the Sarava ran on and disappeared through the trees. I'll catch him, exclaimed the king, fearlessly. He cannot escape me. And darting forward upon his horse, he shot arrows at the beautiful one. The arrows flew around the deer, but he feared them not. and ran over the grass like a bird flying through the air. The king's horse raced faster and faster, and the forest, the hills, the valleys passed by unseen. His hunting men, his army, his elephant troops were left behind in the forest, searching in vain for their king.

[19:28]

All were forgotten. Nothing more on earth existed for the king, only the beautiful one he was pursuing. Run, run, faster, faster, cried the king in his fury to the horse. The host of his horse hardly touched the ground as he galloped through space. But suddenly they reached a deep chasm. a drop off. So suddenly they reached a deep chasm which the Sarabha had leapt easily across. The king did not see the chasm. His eyes were only set on the Sarabha he was pursuing. But the horse perceived it. He saw it. And not daring to jump, suddenly stopped at the edge. And the king was flung over his head, deep into the chasm.

[20:34]

Why do I no longer hear the clatter of the horse's hooves? The Sarava looked behind him and saw the horse running there, here and there, riderless, and his heart was filled with sorrow. The king has fallen into the cavern. He is all alone. His army is far away. Surely he has suffered more than another would suffer in such a fight, for he has an army glittering with gold, a hundred elephants, and men to guard him and await his call. But now he is alone, poor king. the thoughts of the Sarabha as he turned and went back to the chasm. On reaching the brink, he looked down and saw his enemy lying in the dust, moaning and bending over.

[21:40]

He saw him and said to him in a gentle voice, King of men, he said, don't fear me. I am not a goblin who will harm those who have lost and fallen. the grass that grows on earth. I am able to help you, O king, and bring you out of this chasm, so please trust me, and I will come." Do my eyes truly thought the king? Is this not my enemy who is going to help me? The king looked up at the Sarada, and his heart was full of shame. Fair one, he said, I am not hurt over much, but for the armor which covers me is strong. The thought that I have been your enemy hurts me more than my wounds, so forgive me." Hearing these words, the Sarada knew that the king trusted him and loved him. He descended into the chasm, and taking the king on his back, he climbed the high walls with a strength greater than that of the mightiest elephant and brought him into the forest.

[22:47]

Then the king threw his arms around the Sarabha. How can I thank you, he said. My palace, my country is yours. Come, return with me to the city. I cannot leave you here in the forest to be killed by hunters and wild animals. Great king, said the Sarabha. Do not ask me to go to your palace. Here is my country in the forest. The trees are my palaces. But if you wish to make me happy, Grant me his favor. Hunt no more in the forest, that those who live beneath the trees may be happy and free. The king gave his promise gladly and returned to the palace to be grateful to his people, who welcomed him with cheers. Then, without more ado, he published a decree that henceforth none should hunt in the forest again. Wherefore, the king and his people and the animals in the forest all live happily ever after." The Surabha was who?

[23:53]

Buddha. This is a Buddha story. When Buddha was the Surabha, We're going to have a ceremony where we offer sweet water and pour it over the baby Buddha's head. So, when you enter the little shrine, covered with flowers, and inside is a bowl and water,

[24:54]

And so, in India at the time, it was typical, when the baby is 7 days old, I don't know, 8 days, people bathe the baby with sweet tea. So that's what we do to honor the 7 day old baby Buddha. We pour sweet tea over his head to wash him off and invite him into the world. So when you look in there, you'll see the being of Buddha with one finger up and one finger down, saying, I am at one with the whole universe. And that's my story. So let's have our ceremony.

[26:10]

I vow to break it with them. Illusions are impossible. I vow to end them. Dharma gates are boundless. I vow to enter them. This way is unsurpassable. I vow to become it. I vow to awaken with them. Delusions are inexhaustible. I vow to end them. Carnal ideations are boundless. I vow to enter them. Buddha's way is unsurpassable. I vow to become it.

[27:53]

Beings are numberless. I vow to awaken with them. Delusions are inexhaustible. I vow to end them. Dharma gates are boundless. I vow to enter them. Buddha's way is unsurpassable. I vow to be kind. We're going to have our ceremony.

[29:44]

After King Hin, everybody will congregate around the altar set up in the patio area with the families and the children up close, because they're going to make the offering first. And briefly, during the chanting of the Heart Sutra, you'll go up to the altar. You gassho. You pick up a dipper. Pick up your seat key and pour it over top of this image, this dipper down. bow, and then the children will receive special gifts to decorate the atmosphere out there. People who are in there will remember fondly what the atmospheric offerings will be. And then we'll have a great reception afterwards with cake and more sweet tea for us. So we'll have kin-hin now, and we'll be chanting the Heart Sutra and offering sweet tea to the Buddha. So just a few announcements before we head out. If a few people could stay afterwards to help clean up after our reception, that would be much appreciated.

[30:51]

Next Saturday, we'll have a shukei tokudo, a priest ordination, for Matt Gillum, Junkei Nenrei, at 2.30 in the afternoon. And you're all welcome to come. And the following Sunday, the 13th, is a one-day sitting. There's a sign-up sheet outside. The deadline is Wednesday morning at 7 AM to sign up. We also have two ongoing classes, one on living with living and dying on Thursday nights. You can check the bulletin board for the exact dates. And also, Sojin's class on koans from the Book of Serenity for the coordination on Saturday, if people would like to help set up and paint the grounds. Thank you. Yes. OK. So with that, let's go out. And I will have Afar Kimhim now, and then Arshad.

[31:57]

Thank you.

[31:58]

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