goes back a long ways. Is there anybody here who's here for the first time? Welcome. Nice to see you. I want to talk a little bit today about the Four Noble Truths, as I thought about them today in the months leading up to this moment. I always had a little trouble with the word noble, but I'm going to accept that. I was thinking of the four great awarenesses as an alternative way to consider these points.

[12:34]

So I just thought, I have a sort of random thought here about the Buddha having achieved awakening 2,500 years ago. And for the first 200 to 400 years thereabouts, his teachings were not written down. They were passed orally, from person to person. And this may be related to some of the old sutras that have never been passed down to us. Begin with, thus I have heard.

[13:43]

So the passing of the Buddhist teachings was for quite some time. A matter of learning them, reciting them. Getting back to the word noble, I looked it up and found that It's an honorific which is associated with social rank or status in society today and for our purposes.

[14:49]

We think of it as honorable, virtuous, kind. So, life as we know it is inconceivable. It's one of the better One of the better analogies is interest net, where each vast everything and everything is considered related to everything else.

[15:52]

Do any of you know... Bob Britton, by any chance. He's an Alexander Technique teacher. And because my wife studies with him and a number of other people on Zoom, they have a weekly meeting, which I get to hear. And one of the themes that comes back again and again... Is this working? Okay. One of the themes that comes back again and again that I hear, thus I have heard, is everything is movement,

[17:02]

Everything is related to everything else. He asked this question of the people who were assembled for this session yesterday about, how does your thumb feel about how you're getting out of your chair? So that's kind of what we're faced with. is Indra's net. Consider the universe as an analogy for the expanse of Indra's net. So life is inconceivable, inconceivable.

[18:10]

Its causes and conditions are myriad. And the fact that we talk about not knowing is considerably, is connected with that. So, you're not knowing how everything is connected, which is a gift. It's a gift to not know. and you are not going to figure it all out.

[19:12]

So in the end, we have to trust that we can deal with our own suffering. Which brings me to the first great awareness Oh, suffering. That's what I was thinking about. Suffering is not quite... What is it? It's you can't do anything about something. and you feel pain or distress, is that suffering?

[20:28]

Is to suffer something which is undesirable, is that suffering? Or is it just the pain that I feel when I walk down the street? So one of the sources I looked up about the First Noble Truth translates it as dissatisfaction. There are many Sanskrit terms you know as dukkha, but I prefer something simpler, which is change.

[21:41]

We often don't like change. I mean, we sometimes do. But change, I think, is a basic fact of life that is a neutral term I think about suffering as it's kind of a passive response to the situation you're in, that we're all in together. And not to make light of anybody's pain,

[22:51]

But the question is, what are you going to do now? Are you going to find out how to free yourself? Or are you going to react in such a way that you bring to stress upon others. So the second great awareness is what is causing the distress that I'm under now.

[24:03]

So the second truth is what is the cause of this? And the cause is, as I just alluded to, has to do with your response to the situation. whether or not you make the distress more and more, or whether you find out what it is. And part of that is trying to get away from the pain you're feeling.

[25:33]

So the truth of cause, the truth of what's causing your suffering, so to speak, is trying to do something about trying to do something about the discomfort you feel. And the third awareness, great awareness, is the fact that there is there is an end to suffering.

[27:12]

And the, like the first two awarenesses, they're kind of a pair. And the second two are the fact that there is There's a way to relieve the suffering. And there's a way, and that way is articulated as the path and the Buddha laid out what that was. So, what does it mean to practice this path, to practice these, to practice cultivating the awareness of all four aspects, all four awarenesses?

[28:28]

What does that practice look like? Here's a guess. Practices attention to what is before you without getting mired in detail or succumbing to urge to over-focus or getting lazy or procrastination or overtaking or overstating our circumstances. Our distress, most often, our distress has a cause. The cause is often not what we think it is. Let's try that. Okay, we'll try this.

[29:36]

Thank you. The Buddha taught that bodily pain and discomfort are not necessarily the enduring causes of suffering. Oh. Oh, okay. Okay. Are we good now? I think we're good now. Okay. Thank you. Often what we're faced with what we would like to call suffering is there is this cascade of self-talk

[30:53]

which is almost always self-defeating. In particular, the narrative of poor me is a good one to avoid. Life includes all sorts of painful experiences initiated by forces outside our control, other people, social systems, our body's fragility and mortality. through this maze of chatter.

[32:19]

So for my particular version of that is is a way to just come close to what it is that... What thoughts am I having? And... And... The challenge.

[33:28]

When I... I... lived at San Francisco Zen Center, or thereabouts, in the years past, I was engaged with the Tussle Heart Bakery, and we worked really hard there. But I felt like this was a path of my practice, and I understood it that way as an opportunity to engage as practice in the same way that I found my place.

[34:47]

in more traditional forms. So if you're, if what you're dealing with is an ongoing situation which doesn't seem to change or gets worse or something like that, Come closer. Come closer. Everyone has a unique and different version of the path.

[35:55]

depending on which challenges appear. And there will always be challenges. Some years ago, not too many actually, Hozan Roshi suggested that a number of us who were dealing with some ongoing situation, whether it was a health challenge or whatever, and some of those people are in the room right now, but we've been meeting as a way of finding our practice and hearing each other.

[37:10]

The fourth grade awareness is what we know of as what's which are the actions, which describe the actions and attitudes of one seeking awakening. The first to write for you right intention, about what we bring of our awareness to the situation we face.

[39:09]

Several of these right speech, right action, and right livelihood are what we, are how we conceive of the way forward. And the last three are right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. These are the areas which I think of as areas where you can kind of overdo it.

[40:25]

So, I forgot to tell you right from the get-go that I was going to invite your reflections, whatever. And I see, I see the mic is ready. I see somebody over there.

[41:57]

Peter, thank you very much for that wonderful talk, inspiring talk, getting back to basics. I'm glad you mentioned not overdoing it. You know, according to Pali Canon, the first Dharma talk, before Shakyamuni Buddha even got around to talking about the Four Noble Truths, he talked about the Middle Way. So I'm curious how you feel about the importance of the middle way in practicing, well, all of this, actually. Like, for example, is it always a good idea to come closer? Not always. I think the Middle Way pretty much sums it up when it comes to coming closer.

[43:20]

And any of the things I've mentioned thus far, it's kind of like we want to do something, but the very concept of doing might be going too far. or we feel the impulse to speak, but we don't do, we don't express ourselves. So, the middle way is everything is related to everything else. You can't do anything without affecting your life, other people's lives, in a positive or negative way. So, anyway.

[44:24]

Hi, Eric. Thanks for your talk. Sure. It's very spot on. You're familiar with the idea of the second arrow. Yes. Well, when you see the second arrow coming, what do you do? I either create a bigger hole Or I say, uh-oh, here we go again. What can I do? What can I do? How can I do this differently? Even if it's next time. Thank you.

[45:38]

Hi. Hi. Thanks for talking to us. Have you noticed that you remember the Four Noble Truths more over time or no? Okay, I'm going to ask you to repeat that because it didn't come across. Can you hear me? Yes. Have you noticed that you remember the Four Noble Truths more over time, or no? Or is there a different way? Well, that's an interesting question. I've been noticing them a lot in the months where I was engaged in preparing for this talk. And... They're beautiful.

[46:54]

So I don't know if that answers your question or not. I think so. Yeah, thanks. I just wish I remembered them more. So thank you. We've got an online question and you have a chance. like that. Thank you. Thank you, Peter. My name's Court. Peter, thank you so much for this talk. I was wondering if you could say more about not knowing as a gift. It allows you to become intimate with things. people, circumstances. And if you're not, if you're fiddling around with your understanding or thinking about lunch or something like that, it gets in the way.

[48:18]

I'm asking because I just read the Dalai Lama say that we're headed to omniscience. And I took that to mean knowing more and more about the effects of not acting or acting. And so that's why I'm puzzled about A gift of not knowing. Well, we often think we know. We have some response. For me, it's an overactive front brain or whatever. But it's... How often do you get to... Not know. Thank you.

[49:29]

Okay. All right. Let me get clarified with my inside. The question before... the last question that was offered up was, do you think a lot about, more over time, do you think more about the noble truths? And I just want to share an aha, and I'm hoping there's a question in there, but aha for me was maybe 35 years ago, I first read The Four, and I got stuck right away with the translation was, life is suffering. And it's been my craw for maybe 34 and a half years of the is, because it sounded so declarative and all-encompassing.

[50:37]

And I stumbled across a few months ago a translation that said, life contains suffering. I just want to express how meaningful it was for me to see that distinction because that resonates to me as not just true, but important and useful in a way that the is was, I don't know, I allowed that to get in my way. It's sort of static. yeah and all encompassing and it missed joy and such yeah right yeah so the contains is and I just I guess I realized that you know my tendency would be to want to deny that or to run away from it of course and so there's where for me the just the declaration that it is a fact in life it's very helpful and

[51:48]

Again, I guess there's no question. I was hoping your question would come at the very end. I'm glad that you're embracing not knowing. Do we have time? Thank you, Peter. Thank you for your practice and knowing you over the years. You've been great practicing. And to me, your voice is very soothing. I don't get what you say. There's a soothingness about your voice that I've always loved. But thank you for your talk. Definitely the Four Noble Truths and the Triple Jewels are the peak of my practice. I think it's very much in what I'm practicing what you said.

[52:51]

But I think that not knowing is not so much a gift as it's a state, it's where we really are. When we think we know we're lying to ourselves, we're distracting ourselves from the truth. The conceptual mind is the problem. setting up what we like against what we dislike. Anyway, I'll listen to your comments. Thank you. Well, your last comment, which was that how we stumble around and fall on our face, is about... is about... not taking it too seriously, but... It's a natural outcome of wanting to engage with this teaching. Thank you.

[53:59]

Hi, Peter. Thank you for your talk. This is Renee back here, your neighbor. Oh, yeah. Hi, Peter. We run into each other on the street sometimes when you're biking or walking. I was thinking about the not knowing aspect. How in order to feel comfortable, I don't know, like in order to fully embrace it, there has to be a certain level of internal comfort. to a certain degree, like I was thinking of some of my students who are, they're so anxious, they have trouble being in the classroom. And I think the not knowing of what dynamics might unfold, not knowing people, not being uncertain of whether it's a safe place. There's so many stories that they can tell themselves before they even come into the classroom. And I was talking to one girl who, she was so anxious, she was actually shaking. And I don't know why this year we have so many more students who have this acute anxiety.

[55:16]

But I was thinking, you know, it's really the stories and whatever going into an unknown classroom is that's the stories that they have and the feelings that get triggered are the hard part. And how do you develop, I guess the question in all of this is how do you develop the security, internal security, to feel comfortable with the not knowing, when sometimes not knowing can trigger all these difficult stories or impulses or feelings from past traumas. That's right. So how does one work with that, I guess, is the question. Well, you have to, I think, find some way for those people you know to feel heard. I'm not sure what way that is. There's lots of different ways, depending on your situation.

[56:19]

But I think when I think about the state I go into from time to time, which is You know, the stories are, I don't belong here. There may be some psychological work that somebody has to do and being able to approach this question without too much response. Yeah. Yeah, it's a big question. Yeah, thank you. It seems like not knowing can open up all sorts of things, both wonderful, like a greater intimacy, and also fears and concerns. Yeah. Yeah, so thank you. I'm thinking about change is suffering, and I feel...

[57:37]

like in my own life, the feeling of stagnation or not change has caused a lot of suffering. And then I think maybe that's not possible. It's just there is no possibility of not change. So I guess, I'm not sure I have a question anymore, but if you say change is suffering, is that resisting? resisting is suffering? Well, when you say change, the way I'm receiving that is to think that it's the reaction to change that needs to be included. If you say change is suffering, that's not quite it.

[58:41]

But it's your way that lands for you. Thank you. Thank you, Peter. I always feel helped by your presence and by your wisdom. The question I have had for you is a little different than the last couple we just had, which really, those questions really move me, but I can't quite get a handle on how I would want to open up my sense that anxiety or fear and

[59:53]

relationship to the unknown has something to do with thinking you know what's going to happen or being afraid of what's going to happen. And I do think that just the presence of holding that fear with someone who's overwhelmed by it is a really great place to start, but there's something else in there. Maybe you know what that is, or otherwise I'll go on to my other question. It's about... Can someone receive empathy? Is that helpful? Or are they ready for that moment? I think that's really why as I'm flashing on a conversation I had... this past week with someone who was deeply upset about something that happened to a friend around medical issues.

[61:00]

And I listened for about 40 minutes to it with a few kind of reflective responses before there was a base to open it to other possibilities. So I think that that's also really wise and I appreciate a classroom teacher doesn't have 40 minutes to do that for 30 students. Well... People need to feel safe on some level before they can receive... any kind of suggestion for action or anything like that. Do we have anyone else waiting?

[62:00]

Otherwise, I'll go on to part two. Oh, there's a part two. Well, there's a different, there's a completely different one. You know, I've had a lifelong, uneasy, unsettled relationship with the term noble. On the one hand, it can be hierarchical and kind of haughty. And the other hand, it's deeply touching to me that it implies a certain way of response that is beyond personal. And I'm wondering if you would say something about what you think a noble life is. Oh. Well, I'm going to... I'm going to give you one and then two. But one is from chemistry. There is such a thing as noble gases, which don't combine.

[63:08]

They are complete in and of themselves, and they don't combine chemically. They kind of bond. So helium, I don't know. Well, gold is not a gas, but it doesn't react with things. So that's a quality of presence that is often helpful. It's not the whole story. As far as alternative nobility, I think it's just down to ordinary friendship. And what would we support that?

[64:08]

Thank you very much for both answers. Things are numberless. I vow to awaken with them. Delusions are exhaustible. I vow to bring them. But our lives are boundless. I vow to bring them. Buddha's way is unsurpassable. I vow to become it. Beings are without us. I vow to wait with them to live in. the past of all.

[66:07]

Morning. Welcome to Berkeley Zen Center. I'm Shoray, and I'm today's Saturday director. And here's just a few announcements. This coming Monday, September 7th, is a Zendo holiday. Informal Zazen will be offered at 6 a.m. only, and otherwise we will not have our usual schedule. Yes, Erna? And noon. So 6 a.m. and noon, informal Zazen. Kristen Diggs will offer the Dharma Talk next Saturday. And BZC is offering a four-week practice period, Aspects of Practice, the Roots of Goodness, beginning September 19th through October 17th. And you can see the website for details. Do note that there are two signups. There's one for a practice period and a separate one for the class. So sign up for both if you'd like to do both or just one. Let's see. BCC students and members are strongly encouraged to meet and develop a relationship with a teacher or practice leader.

[68:20]

Abbott, Linda, other teachers and senior students are available for formal docuson or practice discussion. And you can visit the website, teachers tab for contact and for more information. Join us online on Monday mornings, except for this coming Monday. 8 a.m. to 8.30 for Berkeley Zen Center's Monday morning programming. We have an open discussion the first Monday of the month and We Seeking Mind Talks the remaining Mondays. And it's a great way to get to know the Berkeley Zen Center Sangha. And to see any more information about programming or membership here, you can see our website or check the bulletin board. If you'd like to make a donation to support the temple, there is a generosity tab on the website as well as a donation box set up in the courtyard. And lastly, I just need two folks who can stay after tea to help wash teacups. Thank you, Rishan.

[69:22]

Thank you, Jeff. So please just maintain silence as you exit the Zendo, and then feel free to socialize out in the courtyard. And folks online, feel free to unmute and greet each other. Good morning, Sangha. It's good to see you all. Nice to see you. Thank you, Peter, for your discussion. Thank you. Thank you, everyone. Thank you. Thank you, Peter. Goodbye.

[70:01]

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