I want to thank you for allowing me to come here during the practice period. It's really been a great pleasure and honor to do so. And even though I've only been here overnight, the feeling is very good. And it feels very good to be able to practice with Kata Giri Boshi again, Tazaharu. I won't be here so long, but few days.

[01:02]

I expected to come for a week, but as time goes on, the mice eat away at my schedule until it's narrowed down to a few days. But I want to make the most of the few days that I'm here. One time, After Sashin was over, somebody was talking to a group of students and said, you know, if you take all the ritual and forms away from this practice, it's just like the emperor's clothes. There's nothing there. And he thought that he was revealing some great truth about our practice, which he was.

[02:10]

But he's absolutely right. If you take away all the ritual, all the forms, there's nothing there. that you can identify as Zen practice. That's why it's necessary to have forms and procedures in order to recognize what we're doing. We don't have the forms, we can't recognize what we're doing. If you take away all the forms, it's just empty, emptiness. So in order to practice within emptiness, we have to have some form in which we can recognize what we're doing. So we have these ancient forms and this certain kind of limitation in order to recognize

[03:28]

the form of practice, but actually there is no special form of practice, no special way. But because we have this special way, we get attached to the form of practice, the forms of practice. At Tassajara it's much easier to practice within the forms. It's much easier to see our daily life as the form of practice. But in city life, it's not so clear. Even in Tassajara, it's not always so clear. That's why it's so valuable to practice in the city. And we should, it should be possible to go back and forth without being disturbed.

[04:43]

So at Tassajara, we, the forms of practice are present all day long, all day long. and you change from one activity to another. And each activity is a form of practice. But in the city, someone sits zazen, there's the form of practice in the morning, and then they go off someplace to work, or to study, or some activity. what happens to the form of practice? There is no form of practice. But yet, every form can be the form of practice.

[05:51]

So if you are practicing in the city, if you live in the city, you have to create the forms of practice So Siddhi practice is a creative form of practice. It's how you create practice, how you manifest practice through all the forms that are present. As each moment presents itself, we use that form as a form of practice, a way to to practice with our life. But it's not so easy. First, we have to have intention. Intention means that no matter what form I appear in, or no matter what form the world appears in,

[07:03]

That's my field of practice. That's my zendo. So at Kasahara, it's the same. One problem we have as Zen students is that we see the zendo as the form of practice. But when we step outside of the zendo, we're bewildered or we just forget. So we make a big distinction between our everyday life and the form of practice in the Zen dome. So if our intention is to have continuous practice, then we can

[08:06]

create or practice moment after moment with whatever is at hand. Dogen Zenji says, you can create a 16 foot high Buddha with a blade of grass. we can create Buddha with anger and lust, stupidity. There's no obstacle. If we really have right intention, and hold right intention continuously, there's no obstacle.

[09:11]

Whatever we meet is the way. We just constantly create the form of practice, just using whatever is at hand. But if we don't train ourselves, we don't know how to do it. So that's why we have Tassajara, a wonderful place to train ourselves. But we can't stay in Tassajara forever. we have to live our life under all kinds of conditions.

[10:17]

There are two sides to our practice. One side is maybe Hinayana side, which is just practicing just for ourself. And the other side is maybe Mahayana side, which is practicing for the benefit of everyone. And, of course, we do both of these practices simultaneously. But in order to explain it, we can talk about two sides. So, here at Tassajara, we train ourselves. But at some point, It's very helpful for people if we mix with people and learn how to do this practice in the world where the form of practice is not defined.

[11:38]

It's a real test for us. We have to test ourselves in that world. So our intention, if our intention is really strong, when we leave the zendo, we're still practicing zazen, continuous zazen. Sitting with our legs crossed is one form of zazen, but zazen has infinite forms. Some people call it mindfulness, but if we It's okay to call it mindfulness, I think, but I like to call it zazen.

[12:54]

Because if we call it mindfulness, we're able to make a distinction between zazen and mindfulness. So how do we practice zazen all day long without crossing our lips? How do we keep ourselves centered? Constantly centered in every activity. When we walk, to find our center on each step. When we talk, to speak from our center. When we stand, to be centered. when we eat, to be centered.

[13:56]

And to be always looking for our center in every movement. Suzuki Roshi used to say, everything is falling out of balance. Everything is constantly losing its balance and regaining its balance in a new form. So when we walk from one place to another, usually we have some intention, some idea, some goal.

[14:58]

If we walk from our cabin to the bath, we're going to take a bath. But on the way from your cabin to the bath, how can you practice zazen? When you're walking from the kitchen to the storeroom, how can you practice zazen? Are you just going from one place to another? Are you just going to pick up some apples? How are your feet moving? How are your hands held? What's our intention? And why do we practice mindfulness? There's a lot of talk these days about mindfulness. Why do we practice mindfulness?

[16:01]

Is it just to help us to be more careful? Or more attentive? To what? If you read the Satipatthana Sutta, the Sutra on Mindfulness, it says something like, a monk practices mindfulness in various ways, just enough to be aware of not clinging to anything in the world. Just to be established in mindfulness so that enough to be aware of not clinging to anything in the world.

[17:08]

So this non-clinging is the point. Lots of people have mindfulness. Generals have mindfulness. If you're a general, you have to have very good mindfulness, be established in mindfulness. But it's for the purpose of destroying. Different purpose. The purpose of mindfulness in Buddhism is to be established in non-fleeing. Why be established and not be? In order to see everything as it is, in order to see our life as it is, and to live our life in the reality of no becoming, no substantiality, we have to live in

[18:58]

in a non-cleaning way, by always coming back to zero point. So mindfulness, or zazen, is to always come back to zero, or to the center of things. Always being established in the center of things. The center of ourself. And where is the center of ourself? Where is that? It's enough to just keep looking. Just keep looking for it. What is that?

[20:03]

I'm not so smart, so I have to do the same things over and over again in order to get anywhere. That's one of my characteristics. So I always have to keep looking for this over and over again. Every time I find it, it changes. So when I sit zazen, I keep looking for it over and over again. Every time, the same way. And then I lose it, and then I find it. And then I lose it, and then I find it. And it's just over and over this way. Right now.

[21:29]

For us simple-minded folk, just finding and listening and continuing to establish ourselves in this way is how we practice. If we depend too much on the form, then it's hard to find ourselves. It's wonderful to just use anything that's at hand. Here at Tassajara, the schedule helps us keep in harmony, establish a rhythm.

[22:33]

At Tassajara, it's very wonderful because there's a rhythm to practice. If you really follow the rhythm, it's like music. It's like a song or a dance. It's a kind of song and dance. And if you really stay with it, you can dance this dance. need a very harmonious life. But in the city world, we can stay in harmony with Zazen, but then when we go out into the world, the harmonies and the tunes are changing very quickly. And to stay centered, and to pick up on those rhythms,

[23:36]

And to use those rhythms so that you're always on top, not underneath. Not hanging from the branch, but on top of the branch. So that we don't get pulled around. We get pulled around by the nose. We have a ring in our nose. And when we lose ourselves in the city, it's tough. If you lose yourself at Tassajara, there's a lot to bring you back. A lot of support. You just hop right back on the rhythm. But in the city, you get lost in the various rhythms. But we have to be able to do that.

[24:43]

Our training, if we're really diligent and toss it hard, we should be able to find our way anywhere. Establish ourselves anywhere. So, That's why it's so important for us to practice. We didn't practice when we're here. Kadagiri Roshan, I want to quote Kadagiri Roshan. He urges us to say, at some point you're a boxcar, but at another point, please turn into an engine. boxcar gets carried along with things.

[25:48]

But an engine has its own power, its own way, and helps everyone, pulls everyone along. I hope that we can all find our own power and our own way and help to pull everyone along. I would very much like to see older Zen students return to Tassajara to be able to renew their practice in some way.

[27:00]

Tassajara is such a valuable place for us. Coming to the monastery and going out into the world, back and forth, I think really matures us. Do you have any questions? Well, I have a question, but I also just wanted to offer something. When you said, why do we practice mindfulness? I just, you know, I asked myself that, and for me, I think that the most important reason is to practice mindfulness out of a sense of gratitude.

[28:08]

Not necessarily because I'm trying to develop some special consciousness, but the only way I can be truly grateful for the apples and the bass or something like that, is to be mindful of them. As opposed to trying to develop some special sort of mind, non-claiming or something. Do you know what I mean? I do. It's because without mindfulness I feel like I can't appreciate the thing itself. Because I'm too involved in my own projections onto the thing. So, for me, it arises and sustains a sense of gratefulness. That's what I wanted to ask you. If our practice can pour itself into a variety of forms, as you say, what is the essence of practice that can express itself in so many ways?

[29:14]

Is it mindfulness? Or, you know, is it intention? But if it's intention, is it the intention to be mindfulness? To be mindful? Well, what is it that can be expressed in so many forms? What is, yeah, what is the essence of practice? Well, we say, we call it emptiness. What is the form of emptiness? All forms. But, I don't... Maybe I have some troubles with the words, because practice, for me, I mean, emptiness is emptiness, regardless. A person who is... A person who has no idea of emptiness, a person who has no idea of practice, a person is not separated from emptiness. But practice implies to me some effort, some intention. And so just to say that practice is emptiness is enough. Not what I said.

[30:15]

Practice is to realize. To realize. Things are as they are, whether there's practice or not. But if we practice we can realize. That's a possibility. It's like electricity is everywhere. But to make it available, you turn the crank and it comes out. So we create some kind of circuitry in order to make electricity available. And then you plug it in your heater. But without the circuitry, it's not available. So how do we make it available?

[31:21]

And so, what we're realizing, or what we're attempting to realize, is the interpenetration of form in our text. If you think of it as two things. So that way I can get an intellectual handhold on the... Thank you. You mentioned walking, the example of walking around And also you mentioned the schedule, but I'm wondering if you could say something more about how the schedule is also important. I myself find it difficult to always maybe turn myself over to bells and Han and things.

[32:33]

and after running on my own momentum for 39 years or something. So... Is there anything else you want to say? No. There's a... a koan in the Luman Kama. When the... Why, when the bell rings, Do all the monks put on their okesa and go to the zindo? Why, at the sound of the bell, did all the monks just drop what they're doing, put on their okesa, and head back and go to the zindo? They just do it. So practice is a kind of koan. I could be doing something else. Why am I doing... Why do I have to stop and go into the center?

[33:38]

Why do I have to stop and go to the kitchen? It's a kind of poem. The schedule itself, it is a poem. And we can explain it in various ways. I can explain it to you, but I don't think it will help. I don't think it will help. You'll say, I understand now, but I don't think that it will help. You know, when we come to Transylvania, we really put everything else down.

[35:02]

We just put everything else away. All our toys, all our desires, all our aspirations, all our opinions, everything is just laid down. And we decide, well, I'm going to do this. But even though we decide, I'm going to do this, when we are in it, we have a lot of resistance, a lot of problems. And they just continually keep coming up. Even though we've laid down all that stuff, something keeps coming up. And it keeps coming up with the schedule. Schedule is, if you really look at it closely, it's a big teacher. And it's like, how we get in focus with something.

[36:09]

You know, sometimes, if you're nearsighted or farsighted, you look at something and it's blurry. If you put on your glasses, then it all comes into focus. And it's very clear. And when we're out of sync with the schedule, then everything goes out of focus like that. And it's hard to move, hard to think, hard to do anything. But when we're right on in rhythm with the schedule, not thinking, no opinions, no desire, Just leaving everything down. It's like we have to put everything down, not just once, but all the time. Constantly. We have to constantly put everything aside, because we're constantly taking stuff in.

[37:11]

We're constantly accumulating. We're like a table. If you have a flat surface, it accumulates stuff. If you have a table, pretty soon, in a day or two, there'll be a lot of stuff on it. And we're kind of like that. We collect feelings, opinions, desires. And so we have to constantly put it down. It's not just once, but day after day, hour after hour, we have to let go. Until finally, we just let go. And just let go. And return to zero. As long as we're abiding in zero, we can just do the schedule very easily.

[38:13]

But if we have some... start building something up, start building up a foundation, then we start wondering why. and resistance. So what if the schedule is teaching us something? Teaching us if you don't let go, if you don't return to zero, you're going to have a lot of suffering. The schedule is zazen. It's just another form of zazen. If you don't let go, you'll suffer. Everything is teaching us Zazen. You made it responsible that I could probably explain the schedule to you and you might say, I understand, but I don't think it would help.

[39:31]

And it sounds like you just explained the schedule. I did, yes. I'm sorry. Excuse me. But you see, the reason I could do that is because I just returned to nothing. Hopefully no one knows.

[40:02]

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