Surpass, penetrating and perfect Dharma Is rarely met with Even in a hundred thousand million Kalpas Having it to see and listen to To remember and accept I vow to taste the truth of the Good morning, BZC Sangha, and let's get our speaker in view. What's that? Gallery view. Gallery view, sure. Welcome, Carol. After a number of different spiritual practices, Carol Paul was introduced to Zen in 1996.

[01:38]

She studied with Darlene Cohen and received the precepts from her in 2001. She entered BCC's gate after relocating to East Bay in 2002. Carol was ordained by Soji Roshi in 2017 and received Dharma transmission from Hozan in July 2023. Carol spent two practice periods at Tassajara and has held a number of practice positions here at BCC. She is currently the coordinator who oversees all the position changes here to make sure it flows harmoniously. How's that going? How's it going? It's going, good. Her dharma name is Shiken Seigetsu, clear intention, serene moon, and happening for our speaker today. Thank you. Thank you, Ross. And welcome everyone. Thank you for coming out on this warm, beautiful Saturday.

[02:41]

Do we have anyone new here today? Well, welcome. So things have changed. We're back to masking, which is an important thing for now. So today, I'm going to talk about what's called the Brahma Baharas, and I'm going to talk about the first one, which is loving kindness. Let's get these glasses on. It seems like there's a lot of, I think we degrade some divisiveness, anger, confusion in the world today, and so I just wanted to spend some time remembering loving-kindness. So I'm going to tell you a little bit about the Brahmaviharas, where did they come from, and how we can express this loving-kindness, and what are the benefits according to Buddha.

[03:52]

And if we have time, we'll do a short meditation, guided meditation. So, I'm going to have to miss this up. My eyes are not as good as they used to be. So, in all three traditions, Zen, Therabhatan, and Tibetan, they all have their form of loving kindness. But it came first from the Pali Canon, which was the teachings of the Buddha passed down. by his ancestors. And there, in there, is the loving-kindness, very similar to ours too. And so that was the Theravadan tradition. So they practiced that as well as we do because in our tradition we have the loving-kindness metta sutta, which we chant every Monday morning.

[04:58]

And Buddha said, in this Pali Canon, if you follow the precepts, which we chanted today, the Eightfold Noble Path, which is one of the precepts, and the Four Immeasurables, now this is what the Brahma Pahara is another name for them, they're called the immeasurables, your life will be peaceful. So, During Buddha's lifetime, there wasn't Buddhism, so those spiritual people practiced the Brahmatic faith and they prayed that after death they would go to heaven to dwell eternally with Brahma, the universal god. This was their spiritual belief. So one day a Brahman man asked the Buddha, what can I do to be sure that I will be with Brahma after I die.

[06:02]

And the Buddha replied, as Brahma is the source of love, to dwell with him, you must practice the Brahma abodes or the four immeasurable minds or the Brahma Baharas. So what these are is love, love and kindness. That's what we're going to talk about today. compassion, joy, and equanimity. And so he tells the monks that one quarter of your mind, there's love, loving kindness. There's another quarter that is compassion. The third one is joy. And then the fourth quarter of your mind is equanimity. So that's how he really defined it. I looked it up. So basically what he's saying is they all work together. They're all really of one piece.

[07:03]

One folds into the other. So let me just define what this is. I always like to know what these things mean. So Brahma was the heavenly, which were the gods. That's what they believed in. And the Baharas That was their abode. That was home. Ramavahara. And they called that because it's a practice of becoming, it's like you return to that. That's your constant dwelling place. Return to your home. And that's where we want to feel at home. Because we have our physical homes, some of us, but there's really no guarantee there. don't know what's going to happen. So they believed, and I believed this too, our true home, as Buddha said, then is always with us.

[08:04]

We can always return to it. So they become these immeasurables, become our inseparable companions. And these four emotional states really is a place where you can rest, you can get ease, feel at home. You really practice them. Now in Zen, we talk about Buddha nature. And that's the state of boundlessness, which is pure love. And so they're called, many things, but they're called the boundless states of awareness. or as I said, they're known as the heavenly abodes, these Brahma the Horus. And you know, you really can't have too much of them. And the more you practice it and remember it, they do grow.

[09:05]

And that's probably why they got their names, the immeasurables. You just can't measure them. So, As I say, the first one is love or loving kindness, and we call it metta in Pali. And you've probably heard this is the Dalai Lama's practice. His main practice is kindness. He said, this is my simple religion. There's no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart, is our temple. The philosophy is kindness. You know, he must have really had to practice hard with that because you know he had to leave his country to bed. He hasn't been able to return. So he was an amazing person to practice kindness through all that.

[10:06]

And as I say, in our practice we have the loving kindness sutta and It talks a lot about being happy. One sentence it says, may all beings be happy. May they be joyous and live in safety. So it's for everyone, our self and everyone. It doesn't matter where you are, you cherish all living things. You suffuse your love over the entire world. above, below, and all around without limit. So let one cultivate an infinite goodwill toward the whole world. It's a beautiful sutta. So as I said, it says, May all beings be happy.

[11:12]

May they be joyous and live in safety. So, you know, I think we all recognize everyone wants to be happy. They want to be comfortable, they want to be peaceful. And everyone deserves to be happy. It's really our birthright. And even Dogen said, our Buddha nature is to be happy. Now, as my first teacher, Darlene Cohen, She was, I had my last, I was getting ready for my last donka-san because we knew she was going to die. She had cancer, so she was seeing all her students for the last time. And so I asked her, I know I've said this before, but it's been, you know, I just carry it with me all the time. She said, I said, what do I do now? And she just took maybe three seconds and she said, be happy.

[12:14]

So few people are. And it really struck me. So few people are. So when we are happy, we're doing it for ourselves and others. It's not just us, it kind of permeates out. But what is being happy? When was the time when you were happy? Truly happy. And maybe it was just for a moment. Just that brief moment you felt a happiness. And everything was okay. Just the way it is. Just the way it was. So I think happiness really includes that. It's just accepting it all, which of course is our practice. Accepting things as they are. And having an openness about it too. And you know, when you think about all day long, all day long, there may be moments of ease and being able to see things clearly.

[13:25]

We could find that joy and that happiness just stopping wherever we are and taking a moment. It doesn't have to be a long vacation of happiness. It could just be moments of happiness. But we have to allow ourselves Allow ourselves to take that and feel that pleasure and that joy in things big and small. Allow it. Sounds like it's easy, but for some it's not. We don't allow ourselves that way. So we can do this all day long with anything and anyone. People, animals, your pets and plants. Remember that book? When you treat your plants well, they respond better. I think that's true. Trees are a cup.

[14:29]

Just treating it with kindness and respect. So this kindness and happiness go together in many ways. And especially for us in our practice, our breath, sometimes you just, you know, sometimes it's not so easy, but sometimes can you just return to your breath and feel the ease and, you know, letting go of whatever you've been carrying all day. Just entering in Zaza to calm the body and the mind. So does this mean if I do this practice, am I going to improve? This practice of loving-kindness? Well, I like what Pema Chodron, who's a Tibetan teacher, she's written many books, she says, Maitri, and so this is in Sanskrit, that's what they call it, or loving-kindness,

[15:34]

doesn't mean getting rid of anything. Matri means that we can still be, I love this, we can still be crazy after all these years. We can still be angry after all these years. We can still be timid or jealous or full of feelings of unworthiness. So the point is not to try to change ourselves. So we can just be who we are and still be happy and still practice loving kindness, no matter how we feel. But of course, sometimes it's hard to feel happy, you know, for ourselves or for others, given the suffering that's around in our home, it could be in our neighborhood or work. in our world, when we see that suffering, it can maybe be hard to be happy.

[16:43]

You think, well, I have so much and I have so little. And then sometimes, you know, if I don't watch it, it could create a feeling of guilt. So I have to kind of pull back as I tone down my happiness since not everybody has it. Or we have to let go of the feeling, threaten that it's going to be taken away. We've got to kind of hold on to this. It's going to go away. Sometimes even feelings are based on the belief that there's only a limited amount, only a limited amount of happiness to go around. And therefore, when something good happens to another, well, there's not going to be enough left for us. These are beliefs. And, you know, even though there's arguments, it's just not rational still. People tend to hold on to them. But we know the delusions, those aren't true.

[17:47]

It's just happiness really everywhere. And kindness could be in every moment. So the more we feel content and satisfied, and the more we give to ourselves, then we can give to others. We start with ourselves and of course we have to look at our fears to be able to let go of them so that we can become more friendly, friendly with ourselves, friendly with others. You know, with Dogen, when he talks about Buddha nature, that is about expressing happiness. And the only way to be happy, as I said, is to want it for everyone. You know, you're not going to be fully satisfied if you're just kind of holding on to it. It doesn't have to be being with people as an intention.

[18:50]

So when we withhold that, just remember we're withholding it from ourselves too. And then of course we're not going to receive the full benefit. So in Buddhism, the primary meaning of love is friendship. The word metta actually means goodwill, beneficiary, benevolence, or friendly. Being friendly or befriending ourselves, then we befriend everyone, others. So I have this poster, which is a good reminder. I wanted to share it with you. It says, Buddhism is transmitted from warm hand to warm hand, and that was said by Suzuki Roshi.

[19:53]

This is our practice, warm hand to warm hand, that friendliness, benevolence. And that's our intention here at BCC. When you enter the gate, I want you to feel a warm friendliness from us. That this is a place where you can be at home. This could be your abode. It doesn't mean there might not be conflicts, but there's always ways to work through those. So Menta is really something you do, rather than think about. So it's a doing practice, loving kindness. You know, I like to think of it as love in action. And it can be big, like caring for someone who's very ill.

[20:57]

It can be very small, like smiling to someone on the street, or I shouldn't say small, but a gesture. one gesture. So whatever action that is, is an expression of kindness. You can turn that into an expression of kindness. And you know, you don't have to have a certain feeling. You can still be your old craggy self and still express content, loving kindness. you know it's it's really what's our intention if we have our intention that we really want to be more kind to ourselves we want to be more kind to others we intentionally carry that then that we can put that into action we want to have that willingness to have loving kindness and that and that requires

[22:02]

you know, it requires letting go of things and accepting things just as they are. And sometimes that's hard. But as practitioners, I think we are realizing that expands with practice. We realize that some things just are the way they are. We can begin to embrace everything. But loving-kindness, it can also seem harsh. Remember John Lewis, the congressman? And he would talk about making good trouble. He was a fighter, but he also did it in a kind way, in a way that would create results. Or maybe as a parent, you have to give tough love. You have to be stern. It doesn't look so kind.

[23:08]

But underneath it, it's for the love of your child. So it doesn't look a certain way always. And really, I do believe we all practice this. We could help eliminate some of the suffering in the world. We all just remember to express that. So with loving-kindness and all of these Brahmavaharas, we start with ourselves and then we move out to others. Because the Buddha said, you yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, is of your love and affection. So we start with self-love, accepting our good and bad points of ourselves, and then we don't want to hurt anyone or ourselves.

[24:20]

We don't want to hurt ourselves first. We have to really take a look, how am I caring for myself? What do I tell myself about myself? That's a big one. What's my self-talk about me? What's getting in the way of me expressing my kindness and love for myself? Sometimes when we feel separate or alienated, you know, some old habit energy comes up. Jealousy, envy, anger, righteousness, whatever's still around. and stuck. You know, it's like, I like to think of this, this little thin line. You know, you could be feeling really kind and all of a sudden something gets triggered and then you're over that line. You know, you've been in that unconditional state of mind and then you're down again with that reactivation.

[25:29]

something maybe from your childhood, five years old, still picking on me or whatever. It's just recognizing that's old behavior patterns when they come up, but how do we get out of it? How can we see that? So we can get back to that state of feeling peace and ease and kind towards ourselves and others. How do we recognize it? So can we slow down just enough to see it? Then can we send ourselves some kindness, just take a breath. So in times like this, one of our tools, as we know, or practices, is Zazen. You can take anything and everything to Zazen. There is your Buddha nature.

[26:32]

And it can just help you calm down, release, look at it, study that behavior. Always available. So as we develop loving kindness toward ourselves, we develop the practice of patience. intolerance, which helps us then to sympathize, empathize with others, give them some kindness. So we develop a good will towards ourselves and others. You know, if we recognize we don't want to hurt ourselves, well, if we didn't want to hurt ourselves, then we wouldn't want to hurt anybody else. So We don't want to hurt anybody else. We don't want to hurt ourselves.

[27:33]

It kind of works both ways. And if we truly love ourselves, then we would love them as well. Think of a koan that maybe you might want to create that would support you. Like, how am I treating myself right now? How am I treating others right now? Study that. We turn to kindness. So when we practice this according to Buddha, here's what he said are the advantages of practicing loving kindness. Well, first one is, this was in Paul again, sleeping better. We will sleep better. We can understand that when our minds is at ease, not holding any grudges or whatever with others, any unleft business from in a suite better.

[28:38]

And the second is non-human beings will like you. When you think about animals, they're so sensitive. I think in many ways more sensitive to us because they can't talk. They've got to use all their other senses. watching us. And so if they can see that you have a kind nature, they're going to like you. This third one is a little challenge, but we have to remember it's 2,500 years old. Fire, poison, weapons will not affect you. I'm not sure exactly how that was 2,500 years ago. Maybe more emotionally it wouldn't affect you. But that's what he said. And the fourth one is, your mind will concentrate easily.

[29:40]

Doesn't that make sense? When your mind is clear, you can concentrate and have other things going on. And the last one, when you die, it will be easy. We all want that. I can see that, you know, when you have, you've made all your amends and forgiven everyone, you'll die with clear conscious knowing you've been kind to others and kind to yourself. So we don't normally do this, but I thought it might be nice to do or maybe not nice, helpful to do a short matta practice. They do this tradition a lot in the Theravati tradition, but we can try this.

[30:45]

And so what we're going to do is we're going to send some matta or kindness to ourselves. And then we're going to send it to someone else. And then we're going to send it out to everyone in the world. So when we send it to someone else, since we're just starting this, you may just be starting, it might be good to pick someone that you get along with now. Rather than someone maybe have a conflict. We're not going to be solving any of these things. So it's just really to open up to kindness. And there'll be four things that I say. And as I say them, then I'll stop. And you then will say it to yourself. Let yourself feel it and take it in. You want to make sure you're comfortable. You can have your hands on your lap. You don't necessarily have to be in our posture unless that's your posture that you're most comfortable in. And you know, your body's relaxed at ease as best you can. If you feel comfortable closing your eyes, you can.

[31:50]

Or you don't. You don't have to. not required. Okay, so I'm going to start reading the first statement. May I be safe and protected. May I be happy and peaceful. May I be strong in body and mind. May I live with ease. May you be safe and protected

[32:54]

May you be happy and peaceful. May you be strong in body and mind. May you live with ease May everyone be safe and protected. May everyone be happy and peaceful. May everyone be strong in body and mind

[34:04]

May everyone live with ease. Thank you. That's all I have to say. But we have some time. If you have any questions or comments. I know I've been asked if we do have something from the audience, if we speak loud so that those online can hear. Tristan, we'll pass out a mic, so just raise your hand if you're in the center. If you're online, raise your digital hand. Do you have a question, Philip?

[35:16]

Is that Philip? I couldn't tell. Hi. Oh, Philip, I think you're muted. I was just saying that I enjoyed your lecture, and I thank you. Thank you, Philip. Appreciate that. Jerry? I was just going to agree with you about this is a lifelong thing, you know, you don't just get there. And some people might have heard me talk about this, but there was the last trip that, the Dalai Lama made to San Francisco. He appeared at a venue in San Francisco. Can you hear online?

[36:19]

Okay, I think so. And all the San Francisco Zen Center priests were there on the stage and he walked up. And he had his smile always. And he said, you know, I just want to share that this year really have a new intention. I want to practice compassion. I mean, he's 80 years old. And I felt like that was so wonderful because we all honor him. But the point you were making about this is not something that even the Dalai Lama feels he doesn't have to work on. And the other thing he said, one way I'm practicing is I look at everybody I see and meet. I say, this is me. That's really great.

[37:23]

This is me, yeah. That holds a lot, I think. Yeah, just remembering whoever it is when you meet someone on the street that Looks down and out. That's us, too. Thank you for sharing that, Jerry. So he was moving on to the second Brahmavihara. Compassion. That's pretty. Karen. Thanks, Carol. That was a great talk. I just wanna also repeat what I appreciated about your talk, which is kind of like what Jerry was saying, but that these Brahma Viharas are also actions.

[38:26]

You could be in a really foul, angry mood and still treat someone with kindness. So I often got caught up in how terrible it is to be in a bad mood or angry or something, but it doesn't have to be that that's what we do in the world. So that's all. Yeah, that's great. Well, just so we can reflect on what Penna said. You'll just be your old self. You can still be your old self, angry or whatever, and still practice. Yeah, it's not a matter how you feel. It's just, you know, it's kind of phenomenal. You think you have to be in a good mood to practice this thing. But all day long, all day long we can practice. I don't think there's anybody online.

[39:27]

Ross? Thanks, girl. Years ago, Soju Roshi introduced him to our liturgy. There was discontent within our ranks, which is unusual when people get together, they have disagreements and such, and he felt that offering that liturgy and reminder each week would help us err more on the wholesome and compassionate side versus holding on to our discomforts. issues with each other. And I think it works. It's hard to quantify it, but just by introducing it, for one day, a week during the liturgy, we're chanting this, and something does happen. My question is, in the midst of feeling sadness or discontent or separateness from another that's prompting this discomfort and anger and whatnot, how do you bring forth

[40:38]

kindness and at the same time honoring what you experience that may be resulted in some discomfort or unkindness. How do you hold that sort of paradox and bring forth the bright side or the light side of coming together? Well, I, for me, that's what breaks the separateness out. You know, when I feel that separation, if I can just connect with someone, that's what it's taking, because I'm over here thinking these thoughts. So if I can connect, it just breaks it up. So instead of staying on one side of the river, so to speak, and just grumble by reaching out, and bring up the other side of connection and warm hand, it dissolves the separation, it seems.

[41:47]

Yeah, it does. It may not be forever, it may just be a moment, but that's what it is, because I've created the separation. It's a lie, right? Right. I remember hearing, well actually it was an experience with my spouse, You know, getting angry and then you're really solidly in it. And you don't know how to get out of it. But someone comes over and everything is, you know, just that element helped break it up. Doesn't mean it's going to solve the problem, but at least it gets stuck. I think that's what happens. Things get stuck. We don't know how to get out of it. So someone made the effort to come forward to reach out and connect. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Is your hand up, Carrie? I can't tell. No, maybe not. Okay, we're good, I'm sorry.

[42:52]

Sue. Thank you for the talk, Carol. You always remind me about connecting and reconnecting. And I thought about forgiveness, and Sajjan talked a lot about that. There was some book he found that he was really encouraging people to look at it, to learn about forgiveness. I don't remember the name of the book, but I think that it happens in a connection, just suddenly something or someone shows up and you reconnect. And it's like a pop. relief. And I think the practice of the Bada Faharas, though I don't think about that word very much, but I think that's what we do. And it does make life easier and more content.

[43:56]

And I once, I think it taught one of the loving kindness chants. If there's a situation I'm not yet ready to forgive. I forgive myself for not being ready. So we start with ourselves. Yeah, we start with ourselves, that's right. Yeah, don't put too many, heavy expectations on yourself. Did people hear that? What Ann, the long man said, if I'm not ready to forgive, then What do you say? I forgive myself for not being ready. Yeah. Send yourself some loving kindness all day long. Peter? Thank you.

[45:01]

I'm reminded of the breath and the scope of his practice of his prominent hearts. Just looking around at the zendo, and I'm seeing the back of Sue's shirt, which says, on the butcher's written, accomplishing nothing since 1967. So it points to how big this is. You can't ever have enough. You can't ever exhaust it. Yeah. Yeah. You know, the more you practice it, I know I practice it a lot with my plants, just going out through the yard and just only getting a little upset with all the leaves, but then, you have to keep dropping. But, you know, just appreciating what it is offering.

[46:04]

Nature. Pets. Everything. How are we doing? Any other questions? Or comments? Your own stories? How you practice with it? How was the meditation for you? I know it's not something we normally do. This is a good practice, sending out metta to yourself and to others, especially if you know maybe you have a little disagreement, you can move into that, sending metta. It's all kind of getting rid of those blocks that are in the way, helping to remove them. And this is the Miss Loving Kindness.

[47:09]

We do it one time, but it's a nice sutta, really, to recite anytime. Have it at home, especially if you feel blocked. Lori talked about last week about, you know, The thing about your mother, you know, the one about a mother, that one really helped me to raise that. Even as a mother, at the risk of her life, watches over and protects her only child, so with a boundless mind should one cherish all living things, suffusing love over the entire world. So not just your child, everything. You know, above, below, and all around, without limit. So let one cultivate an infinite goodwill toward the whole world.

[48:13]

As I say, we need this now. We always need it, but maybe it feels like, particularly now. So much going on. Karen, and then Laurie. My favorite line is, my favorite word is cultivate. So I'm wondering, can you say something about, you know, you can look at it as an idea, but it's not. So what we're doing, I think, is cultivating it. Do you have any advice about that? Well, things that I was talking about when you're cultivating, let's say if you run into something that's not, you want to express unkindness, you've got to study this. In order to cultivate, you've got to really dig down.

[49:17]

You can't just say, I'm going to start practicing loving kindness with this person if there's something in the way. So it's cultivating all aspects so that you can understand it and study it. What is this? It usually has something to do with ourselves, right? Often. So, cultivating. Well, I think, too, the more we practice kindness, the more it does grow. And not just with people, as I say. All kinds of things. kindness for the earth, respecting everything. It's not going to be 100% all the time, but it's just keeping that, having that intention, having the intention that I want to become more loving, more kind, and more happy.

[50:22]

It's okay to be happy. Yeah. Friendly. Thank you, Karen. Lori? You know, just to bring up our old ancestor, Maylee Scott, we kind of did her own version of the Mezzasuta, which we chant here on Wednesday afternoons. And a couple of weeks ago when I was here on a Wednesday afternoon, this line jumped out at me. May I move towards the suffering of others with peaceful and attentive confidence. You know, you were talking about the suffering in the world. I just, I mean, she's got peace, attention, and confidence in there, you know? And again, it's about cultivating, but wouldn't that be amazing if my response, reading the headlines, or my response to hearing would be some kind of peaceful and attentive confidence, you know, move towards, like I don't do any of those.

[51:27]

I don't move towards it. I don't feel peaceful, I'm not really attentive, and I don't have confidence, you know? So I just appreciated that line that popped out of me. It's another thing to cultivate, moving towards suffering. Yeah, and she did her work. She took action. She didn't just say the words, right? She did that thing. She did the thing. She did the work. And yet had the intention, you know, of peace. Yeah. That's good. Thank you for reminding us about that. That was really nice. Check it out on Wednesday afternoon. Yeah, she made that. A little Bodhisattva. Well, we probably have time for one more, if there is one more.

[52:31]

Oh, who? Ellen? Yes. By the way, thank you for your chanting. Very beautiful. There's a version of what you led us, the meditation, that I've heard from the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery Monks. Oh, really? It's slightly different and it has a tune. and I wanted to share it with you. Yeah, please do. I think I'll say it first. I'm a little too nervous to sing it. Actually, I think it'll be easier to sing. May I be safe and protected from inner and outer harm. May I be truly happy and deeply peaceful. May I be healthy and strong and physically at ease. May I take care of myself and live with well-being. And then it's may you, and it's may we.

[53:32]

So it's similar. Yeah, that's really nice. I like the singing of it, too. Yeah, it helps to remember. Well, then you can just do it all day long. And the first part really stuck with me. May I be safe and protected from inner and outer arms. I can relate to the inner and the outer. That's good. We can type it out and put it on the bulletin board. Anyone would like me to sing it? Anyone can join me. Okay. Maybe we'll just start with the we. May we be safe and protected From inner and outer arm, may we be truly

[54:28]

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