I vow to teach the truth Next weekend, we have two important events coming up. On Saturday, we will have lay ordination for 12 people. And everyone is invited to come and attend. Lay ordination we have once a year. and the people who have lay ordination sew a small robe and receive a lineage paper as part of a family member in Buddha's family.

[01:22]

So the sewers have been working, the ordinees have been working on their, sewing their ropes for a pretty long time. And it's, each stitch is put in a very mindful way. And there are many little stitches. So it takes a while to sew this rope. And it becomes very meaningful. after you've sewn your robe, and then to have ordination. There are several kinds of ordination. Priest ordination is called leaving home, and lay ordination is called ordination without leaving home. And priest ordination is the more visible kind of commitment. And lay ordination is more subtle.

[02:31]

And for a person who has lay ordination, how to practice in the world as an ordained person is what your practice is. So, and then on Sunday, we will have the opening of our spring practice period, which is seven weeks. The seventh week is a five-day Sesshin. Practice period ends with a five-day Sesshin and begins with a one-day Sesshin next Sunday. So I want to talk about practice period, what it means for us, and some of the details, and make things fairly clear, as much as I can, about what it means, and how we should approach it.

[03:53]

When we have practice period, we have this little questionnaire, and it asks you various questions about your intention. And the reason that we fill out this questionnaire is mostly for yourself. Because the questionnaire asks questions about your commitment to practice period. Let me say from the beginning that there are various kinds of practice periods in Buddhist history. Originally, in India, during the monsoon season, the monks would gather and have a practice period together.

[05:17]

And then, when the monsoon period was over, the monks would disperse and travel around as mendicants. And so gradually, the practice period, or in Japanese it's called ango, became institutionalized so that every year, or every monsoon season, the monks would have a 90-day practice period. And in monastic practice, in Zen practice, this is still the way that the monks practice. For lay people, there is no such thing as practice period, except here in Berkeley. Well, actually, some other places.

[06:20]

But as a lay Sangha, we have to figure out how to make a practice period work. for people who are living at home, who are not monks, but who have a steady practice, steady daily practice, and serious practice. And to make this, to rejuvenate our practice, once a year we revitalize our practice, and pull all the loose ends together. and make a commitment for a certain period of time that is a little different than our usual commitment. So we've been pretty successful in our practice periods over the years, but we're still developing what practice period means and how to actually make it work.

[07:28]

And every year it's a little bit different So, I just want to say that it's not necessary to be in the practice period. Now, there are two kinds of practice period for this situation. One is where you have a certain number of activities that everybody has to do. And then it leaves, there's a small group of people who can do that activity and everyone else is left out. But I think for our Sangha, it's good to include as many people as possible. So, the rules are not so rigid. They're very flexible because each one of us has a different life, different schedule, different commitments.

[08:37]

So we try to allow for that, for everyone's differences, and at the same time to have some cohesive parameters. So I'm going to talk about how we do that. The practice period is actually for the members. If you're not a member, then it doesn't make sense to do the practice period unless you have some exception. But if you want to do the practice period and become a member, After you've been practicing here for a while, that's fine. It may be a good way to introduce yourself to the practice. So, as you know, the main part of our practice is sitting, daily sitting.

[09:46]

The first question says, I will attend morning Zazen on these days of the week, and I will attend afternoon Zazen on these days of the week. Well, when you decide how much Zazen you will sit, you should take into account all of the other factors in your life. What this questionnaire, what practice period elicits from us is not to overdo ourselves, or not to try and do something heroic, but to try and balance, make a conscious effort to balance your sitting practice with the other activities of your life. So, what I usually say to people When they say, how should I practice?

[10:52]

I say, give yourself a month. Take one month and decide what your practice will be for that one month. How much Zazen you will do for that one month. Maybe Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. That's an example. And then you put that on your calendar. And when the time comes, You say, oh, zazen. And then you do it. So it's a commitment. Zen practice is, the basis of Zen practice is commitment. Without commitment, you may sit zazen or you may not, but it's not what we call practice. Practice is commitment. That's the basis. And so you should be careful what you commit yourself to. Very careful.

[11:55]

And then Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So when Monday, Wednesday, and Friday come, you look at your calendar. You may not have to look at it, but... And then you sit on those days in a committed way. So... What I say to people is, do this for a month. And then at the end of the month, look at what your schedule is. Is it working? Or is it not working? If it's working, you can continue. If it's not working, then change it. So that if you don't do that, and you have an open-ended schedule, your life changes in a period of time. And then you find yourself not able to do what you committed yourself to. And then you start getting discouraged. And you think, well, I can't do this anymore.

[12:57]

And then you start to drop out and fade away. So you have to continually keep checking to see if your commitment is correct for you or not. And if, because of circumstances, you have to do less, you shouldn't feel bad about that. Because Sazen is connected to your life. It's a part of your life. It's not just something that you do on a whim or when you feel like it. And when it's a part of your life, sometimes you do it more, sometimes you do it less. But you shouldn't worry about when you when other parts of your life are more important. People often come to me and they say, I feel really bad because I haven't been sitting, you know, for the last month because so many other things are taking up my life.

[14:00]

But you should not feel bad about it because when If Zazen is a part of your life, an integral part of your life, when circumstances change, then you'll be doing more Zazen later. So our life ebbs and flows in different ways. And in order to keep a flexible practice, we have to have that flexibility. Otherwise, we can't practice. But for this two-month period, seven weeks. Actually, it's six weeks of Zazen, plus the Sushi. Make that commitment for yourself, whatever that commitment is, whatever you decide, and then keep the commitment. And this is a commitment to yourself, and it's also a commitment to everyone who you're practicing with. And then it says, Monday morning events.

[15:08]

I will attend the following Mondays. I don't know if you can decide that, but... Monday morning, you know, is when we have a student talk. Every Monday morning. If you haven't attended the student talks on Monday morning, you might think about doing that, because they're always extremely interesting. But that would be a part of the... to commit yourself to that would be a very integral part of practice period. And then it says, Saturday mornings. I will attend or not. Saturday morning is the one time every week where we can really have a concentrated practice. And so I really encourage everyone to come on Saturday, to commit to Saturday morning if you can. Sometimes people say, well, I feel like it or I don't feel like it. I think during practice period, if you can do it, you should do it.

[16:14]

If you can't do it, fine. But if you have the time to do it, to make the commitment to do it for that period of time and see what it feels like, this is where Saturday morning is where you really engage in practice, eating practice, zazen practice, service, all of the elements of our practice are there on Saturday morning. So I encourage you to do that as part of the practice period. And then it says Thursday night class. I will be having a class every Thursday night, and this class will be on the precepts, Zen precepts, Buddhist precepts, which can be studied in various ways.

[17:26]

And we won't be able to cover all of the various ways which precepts are studied, but we'll try to get to the heart of the meaning of the precepts, which I think is very important for us. And we'll take a look also at the ethics statement, which for the past five years at San Francisco Zen Center, we've been developing a precept statement, which is based, I mean an ethic statement, which is based on the precepts, which has been a long time in the making. And so we'll take a look at that also and discuss the meaning of it. There's always been a consideration whether or not people who are not in the practice period can attend the class.

[18:39]

I don't exclude people, because if I teach something, it's hard for me to exclude anybody that wants to come. It says, I will or will not attend the sitting and the opening ceremony on Sunday, next Sunday. I would think if you're going to be in the practice period, you should attend the opening ceremony. Unless you can't, unless there's some real reason why you can't, you should do that. It's also when we install the shuso. Shuso, as most of you know, is the head seat. a person who is the, we call, in the monastery we call the head monk for the practice period. And here we'd say the head student for the practice period, who will be this time Karen Dakotis, who is a, I'm very happy

[19:51]

that she'll be able to do it this time. She's been studying Zen for a long time, both at Green Gulch, Tassajara, and Berkeley. And I feel it's just the right time for her. And I think that she will set a really good example for how to practice. And she will be doing, serving, having teas at certain times, and invite everyone in the practice period to come to those. And she'll be installed as the head student on Sunday, after the Sashin, the end of Sashin. So I really feel that if you're in this practice period, you should come to that. And then there's the five-day session at the end.

[21:05]

You don't have to sit the whole five days, but if you can, it would be good to do that. But there's a two-day minimum. And then there's a practice period dinner, which It's a social time, our one social event. So please come to that. And then on June 23rd, at the end of the practice period, there will be a Shuso Dharma dialogue ceremony, where the head student answers questions, a kind of Dharma combat. That should not be an option.

[22:12]

You should do that. So, I think that... I was thinking, well, what is the main purpose of practice period? I can think of a lot of different things, but what comes to mind today is how to live your life fully on each day, one day at a time. To make a concentrated effort to live your life from beginning to end as one day, a whole lifetime as one day. Of course, we have to plan for tomorrow and we have to think about yesterday but to take each day as one day of practice and really concentrate on it in that way.

[23:22]

In that way, you won't be wasting your time or wondering what you should be doing. So, to harmonize your sitting practice with all the activities of your life, with your family, with your work, with your play, with everything that's vital to your life. How to balance Zazen with all those other elements. So this is a concentrated period of time, and it's nice to do it in the spring. You know, when things come to life, we bring our practice to life.

[24:27]

And renew our practice, and revitalize, and readjust ourselves. So the important thing about practice, this practice, is how do you organize your life? If your life is disorganized, it's very hard to practice. So organizing your life is a vital part of practice. Commitment, organization, and harmony, those three elements are vital. And if you can do that, your life will go pretty well. And you'll know pretty much what you're doing. Sometimes we have the feeling that practice period is trying to see how much zazen you can do.

[25:43]

But that's not it. It's not so the quantity, but the quality of your life. How to work with the quality of your life, so that whatever you're doing, you're doing it totally. Suzuki Roshi used to say that Zen is just living your life moment by moment, Little by little. Just living your life totally on each moment. Fully on each moment. So that's the spirit of practice period. So, do you have any questions?

[26:47]

You know, I've always wondered this and I've never asked anyone. If there's more than one kind of robe in a Zendo, what's the difference between the two? Well, there are priest robes and lay robes. And priests, when one is ordained as a priest, you wear a black robe. And when you have Dharma Transmission, you wear a brown robe. Dharma Transmission is a full priest. So we have... I'm the only one that has Dharma Transmission in our Sangha. But I will give Dharmi transmission to some people soon.

[27:58]

And then there's the lay rope, which, the Raksu, which... When we have the ordination, it's a lay ordination. And usually the Raksu, which is the small rope, that's the one that... Priests also wear the Raksu, the small robe, but this is the big robe. The Raksu is the small robe, which is the same, but it's small. But both robes are made in the same way. Just that it's hanging from a strap. Now, when you spoke about practice period, you didn't say anything about the work component.

[29:12]

So I wondered if you wanted to say a few words or if you did. Well, she wanted to know, she said I didn't talk about work. A vital part of Zen practice is work, and working together is a vital part of Zen practice. But as a life sangha, we don't have much time to work together, because during the day everybody is out working with other people. So, we don't so much emphasize the work aspect here, but we will have a work day during practice period, one work day where we all get together and do communal work at the Zindo, which is a wonderful way to practice together.

[30:18]

It's a different feeling than your usual work. It's very concentrated and harmonious. But, you know, the thing about Saturday morning is that there is a work period. There's a work period on Saturday morning, which I think is important for... as a part of understanding Zen practice. Sometimes people come on Saturday morning and sit Zazen and eat breakfast and then leave before work. But I encourage you to stay for the work period, which is an important part of practice. It's not just doing work. It's work practice. It's like Zazen practice.

[31:22]

of all aspects of our life are present in practice and working together is an especially important part of practice. In the monastery, most of the practice is work. A good deal of the practice is work. When I went to Ryutaku-ji in Japan last year, which is an old, Hakuin's old Zen temple. All day long, the monks sweep the grounds. That's all they do, is sweep the grounds. Every day, day after day. That's a little extreme. But they're also working in the kitchen. There are many different kinds of work to do.

[32:28]

But it's a community. So a community has to engage in work. Of course, part of the work of a Zen community is Zazen. So there's actually more Zazen in America than there is in Japan. in the monastery. In Tassajara, the students sit all morning and then work in the afternoon. But work is a very... communal work is a very important part of practice. But, you know, when you are in your usual work, that's also, you should consider that as practice. If you don't consider your activity in your daily life as practice, then you're not practicing.

[33:33]

And it's hard to do that because mostly we go out into the world after Zazen and we're working with people who don't consider it practice. And you have to practice in a world where most people don't consider what they're doing as practice. But that's okay. You do it. You don't have to expect it from other people. If you just do your practice without expecting anything, then you'll have a very good practice. Because that's what practice is. It's just doing what you have to do without expecting anything. Without any expectation. If you expect something, you'll always be disappointed. But if you just practice, do what you have to do, you won't be disappointed. You may be disappointed, but you won't be disappointed in yourself. And you won't have an expectation that's not coming to fruition.

[34:37]

And whatever benefit you receive will be make you happy. David? Do you have some idea about how we may practice with hundreds? Because it often feels that's what we're doing. Well, that's right. The sixth ancestor, after he received his dharma transmission, the fifth ancestor said, you just go out in the world for a while. You're not ready to teach, but go out and live in the world. So he lived in the world for 15 years with hunters as a cook. And he was a vegetarian. And so the hunters would say, how come you don't eat the meat? I can't remember what his excuse was, but maybe they didn't ask him. But he would just take the vegetables out. and serve them the food, but he would just only eat the vegetables.

[35:45]

So he learned how to live in the world without getting pushed around by things, or discouraged, or or caught by things. Very good practice. Susan? Well, I'm really grateful for the way that you talk about doing a practice period so flexibly while you're also living a busy life in the world. committing to just what you can do. And I've noticed that there are other little things that you can sometimes do in the world during a practice period to kind of give more of a practice period feel to everyday life, like not turning on the car radio during the period of the practice period, or eating a silent meal a certain every day, or offering incense and flowers at home, a certain place that maybe you don't always do it.

[37:10]

I think those kinds of things can also be really helpful and I wondered if you had any further suggestions about that. Yeah, thanks for reminding me. It's really good to, you know, like if, say you want to stop smoking, to use the practice period as a kind of encouragement, you know, that during this time Maybe that's what I should do is stop smoking or stop doing something that I don't want to do. Or offering incense at some particular time. Maybe just sitting down. Thich Nhat Hanh sometimes says, just sit down. Take a period of time, 15 minutes, and just sit down and have a cup of tea, offer incense, and don't do anything else. You know, just stop everything and notice what's around you.

[38:21]

open your mind, because our minds become very squeezed with our thoughts, and our feelings, and our emotions, and our busyness. And then when you stop, just your mind, the mind kind of expands to take in what you're surrounded. And that's when we walk down the street. If you walk to the west, you know, we're looking down at the ground and the traffic and the people and our vision is only very narrow. But the bay is down there. And if you look up and forget about all that stuff, you can actually see the bay, you know, and you can see the bridge and the sky. You know, things open up and you realize that your world is not that narrow. So there are various practices that you can do. And we get to choose one practice that you can do.

[39:27]

Sometimes, well, when we start studying the precepts, we can take each one of those precepts and practice the precept that we're studying for the week, or the one or two precepts. It'll have to be more than one because it's only six weeks. But the one or two precepts, we will Practice those precepts for that week. Not the whole thing, but just concentrate on those one or two. You know, how you refrain from taking life, how you refrain from not taking what is not given, and so forth. Anger. So, the precepts are really perfect for practice period. It's a perfect study for practice period, because it's not just mind stuff, but it's actual practice.

[40:28]

So that'll be a big key for our practice. Yes? Rebecca? Would you say something about Choson or Choson or Choson? Choson? I can never remember which one is Choson and which one is Shoson. Choson is tea. Morning tea. And Bonson is afternoon tea. And Shoson is questioning and answer. Or a kind of group Dokuson. with meat. So we have shosan. Once or twice? I don't remember. I didn't say it on here.

[41:33]

Shosan is, but chosan, cha is tea, Japanese. Chosan is a little kind of ceremonial tea or And at that time, we have a discussion. And in the afternoon, banzan, where we have tea and a discussion. So we usually have shousan at the end of sashin. After we've been sitting for five days, then at the end, everyone asks me a question. And we all Laugh. The shuso initiation ceremony at the beginning. That's during the sushi.

[42:36]

The shuso ceremony, shuso... Entering. Entering ceremony? Oh yeah, the entering ceremony. That will be, yeah, Sunday. I'm just not going to be able to be at the sashimi, but I would like to do that. I see. That's... I'm not sure of the time, but we'll find out. Around four. Around four? No, in the afternoon. Around four in the afternoon, usually the sashimi. Can you make that? Yeah, but if you don't come to the Sachine, you can come to the... Sure, of course. I just wanted to say about the practice period that, well, recently I heard someone say about this place, oh, it's so cold and austere there.

[43:41]

And I said, really? It seems so warm and friendly and wonderful. And you know, it's great. But I've been here for a long time. have been through a lot of practice periods. So during practice period there's this really kind of a group effort and we're all supporting one another and it's wonderful. And then you just, I don't know, I think for me it's really helpful to have that connection with the sangha too. That really helps my practice. So if you don't feel connected now after She said, if you don't feel connected now, after practice period you will. But, you know, whenever people come to a Zen center, it always feels kind of austere, and people are cool, you know, and so forth. But we don't feel that way. But anyway. We tried not to do.

[44:53]

If we're too cool, let us know.

[44:57]

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