There seems to be some confusion about lighting the lamps on the altar, when they should be lit and so forth. In Japanese temples or monasteries, Zendo is very dark, and so lamps are sometimes necessary, more necessary to light them in the daytime. And at Tassajara, The zendo is fairly dark, so the lamps are often used in the daytime. But this zendo is like sitting outside, almost. So to simplify matters, we just will light the lamps when it's dark.

[01:13]

So I'm going to continue with Dogen's Eihei Shingi, where he talks about various examples of the old monks and their waking up experiences. and how they woke up during their tenure as officers of the monastery. So today I have a very short story and a longer story. about Tenzo's, the cook in the kitchen.

[02:33]

The first one is very short. Honorable Wu Zuo was a Tenzo on Mount Godai. While he was cooking one day, Manjushri appeared on the top of a pot. Wuzhuo hit him with his ladle and said, even if old man Shakyamuni comes, I'll hit him. So this is establishing your position. Not just establishing your position, but not being fooled by anything, not being fooled by Manjushri, not being fooled by old Shakyamuni, but knowing who you are and where you are and what you're doing, even if you make a big mistake.

[03:49]

So when you're the Tenzo, you should know and establishing yourself. But that can take various forms. It doesn't mean that you should go around hitting people like Manjushri and Shakyamuni. You should create a harmonious atmosphere so that everybody can work together. That's the main thing. and you should let go of your ego. You know, the hardest place, the hardest job in the monastery is actually the Tenzo, because you're dealing with people's tender part called the stomach.

[04:54]

Everyone has an opinion about how it should be. Oh, it's too overdone. Oh, it's not done enough. It's too thick. It's too thin. It's too seasoned. It's too much salt. It's too much this. It's not enough of that. We don't like those things. Oh, what a terrible combination. So everyone, some people like it one way. Some people like it the opposite way. And some people think you're making too much, some people think you're making too little. So how do you stand your ground in this situation? This is the true test of knowing who you are. And at the same time, not to get angry, not to let anything upset you. I have seen tenzos with tears running down their faces.

[06:04]

When I was the abbot of Tassajara, we would have cooks' meetings, the tenzo meeting with the staff to look at menus, and the tenzo would just break down in tears. We don't realize, you know, how much emotional and mental energy goes into planning menus and so forth. And then everybody sits around and criticizes. How was it? How was it? That was the big question. And, well, I think it should have been this way. Oh, I think it should have been that way. Everybody has their opinion. So it takes an enlightened person, actually, to be able to manage that position day after day after day.

[07:09]

Fortunately, we only do this during Sashim. But when you have to do it day after day, it becomes a real position. So, how to maintain equanimity, to maintain settledness, letting go, not hanging on to reactions of anger, or resentment, or criticism, and creating harmony, and listening to people, listening to suggestions, listening to everybody's kvetch, and thanking them for that, accepting all of it. I'll take your comment into consideration. And then you do as you please.

[08:15]

And take the consequences. You have to be able to take the consequences. So leave me alone, in a way. I'll take the flak for whatever I did. But thank you for your suggestions. Thank you for. So, the workers, the kitchen workers should be restrained. The job of the kitchen worker is just to do what's asked. If I was a Tenzo, people, you know, when they come into the kitchen, they like to do things their own way. But if I was a Tenzo, I would say, I want you to chop these this way. doing this technique, please. And I want you to mix things this way so that, to be very specific about how things are done. And the job of the kitchen workers is to say, okay, I'll do it that way.

[09:28]

I'll drop my idea, my opinion, my habit, my great idea, and just do it the way you ask. Then, when you can do that, then I would say, do it however you think, however you like. But until you can follow, you're not allowed to lead. So, most important thing is to know how to follow, how to follow directions, how to give in. Even if you are letting go of your most precious way of doing something, to just do it the way you're asked, then you are on the road to being able to do it your own way. But until you can do it that way, people will not give you responsibility. But the more you let go, the more you just do as you're asked, the quicker you get responsibility.

[10:34]

The fastest way to advance, if you want to call it advancement, is to completely let go of all of your ideas and ways of doing things and just let yourself be moved. Then people say, oh, this one got a lot of realization. So this is not my main story here today. My main story is the example of This is an example of clarifying the great matter while serving as tenzo. Now the Chinese, as I said, use a lot of different names.

[11:45]

They use the name of the mountain, they use the posthumous name, they use the family name, they use the ordination name, and sometimes they use the first name and sometimes they use the second name, so it's very confusing. So I'm just going to use one name for Isan. That's the Japanese way of talking about Guishan. So Isan was in Paichang's community, Paichang is Hyakujo in Japanese, when he became the Tenzo. So he was working with Paichang, Hyakujo, as his Tenzo. He went to the abbot's quarters to attend to the abbot. I don't know why, maybe to serve him something or, don't say why, but Pai Chang said, who is it?

[12:49]

This is kind of a leading question. In those days, the teacher would, when he said, who is it? it would be kind of a leading question as to, show me your true self. And Isan said, it's me, Ling Yu, Isan. He was being very cautious. What does he want me to say when I say this? But he gave him a kind of ordinary answer. It's me, Isan. And Pai Chang invited him in, and he said, it must have been the winter, he said, go over there to the stove, to the fireplace, and see if you can find some embers. See if anything is still burning over there in the stove.

[13:53]

So Isan poked around in the stove and he sifted through all the ashes and he said, well, there doesn't seem to be any fire here. So Pai Chang stood up and went to the fireplace with the poker. After searching around, he found a small ember that was still burning. And he showed it to Isan and he said, isn't this fire? Isan understood. Usually they say Isan had a great enlightenment, but here he says Isan understood, very downplayed. And after thanking the master, expressed his understanding. So this is a very enlightening experience. kind of a travesty to explain it because you already understand it without explanation.

[15:05]

But I'll talk about it anyway. This is kind of the essence of Isan school. There are five schools of Zen, sometimes we count more, but the Igyo school or the Guiyang school, Isan and his disciple Yangshan. In this school the recorded sayings of dialogues between Isan and his And this is kind of the essence of their history. Yangshan is always asking Isan a question, and Isan, and then they discuss the question. And it's very sweet, their relationship.

[16:11]

But this kind of ember, or this spark of what's underneath everything. This glowing fire, this glowing piece of fire that's underneath the ashes is a kind of touchstone of Isang's teaching. Sometimes that fire is obscured by the dust, so to search for that fire under the ashes, to search for that glow or that light,

[17:20]

which is hidden by our dualistic mind, is Isan's way of expressing things. But Paichang enlightened him to this. So then Pai Chong gave him some teaching. And Pai Chong said, you've only come to the crossroads. Even though you become awakened, it's just the beginning of your practice. The sutra says, I'm not sure what sutra that is. The sutra says, if you want to see Buddha nature, you should be attuned to the time, the cause, and the condition.

[18:29]

The time means the time of now. The cause is Buddha nature. And the condition is that which sparks it, or that which sets it off, or which opens up your mind. You have to be attuned to those three things, the time, the essence, and the cause, which puts things into motion, puts something into motion. When the time comes, delusion immediately turns into enlightenment, and forgetting who you are turns into remembering. If we contemplate Buddha nature, realize that Buddha nature is what we are.

[19:32]

It doesn't come from someplace else. An ancestor, Durtaka, the sixth ancestor in India, said, when you're enlightened, it's not different from not enlightened. With no mind, you attain no dharma. These words are not false. Both ordinary people and sages equally make the original mind their mind. Dharma is complete by itself. you are already as you are, so maintain this well." So this is Pai Chong's statement or his teaching to Isan. So what does he mean by, when the time comes, delusion immediately turns into enlightenment? When discriminating consciousness is abandoned or let go of, the delusion itself becomes enlightenment or wholeness.

[20:55]

We talk about the eight levels of consciousness, which I don't want to go into. but we should all understand what those are. When our discriminating mind turns, when the ego turns, it becomes the wisdom of equality. And when the storehouse consciousness turns, it becomes the wisdom of a great round mirror. So this is what he means. Delusion, behind delusion is true mind. Behind enlightenment is true mind, called citta.

[22:01]

is mind, but mind has two functions. This citta has two functions. One is a specific function and a general function. When Suzuki Roshi talked about big mind, he was talking about citta, which is the mind, the universal mind. which is expressed as everything, the fundamental. And when it's specific, it's called the alaya, the storehouse consciousness. Excuse me. Basically, it means When you drop your opinions and your way of seeing everything as an object, when you stop seeing everything as an object and realizing that everything is yourself, this is called turning.

[23:23]

This is the mirror wisdom and the wisdom of equality. It's called turning, turning around. Rather than losing something, you don't lose something, you simply turn it around. Ego is not something that's gained or lost. Simply put into perspective correctly. the same energy that produces selfishness when it's turned becomes selflessness. And remembering means you return to your original self.

[24:28]

You remember your original self. Tozan talks about this in his Five Ranks. He says, a dim memory of something past, she has this dim memory of something, recognizes something in the past, it's like your true nature which we forget about, which we know when we're quite small, but which becomes obscured. If we contemplate Buddha nature, Buddha nature is what we are. It doesn't come from someplace else. Durtaka, the ancestor, said, when you're enlightened, it's not different from not enlightened. It's the same Buddha nature. With no mind, you attain no dharma.

[25:33]

There's nothing to attain. These words are not false. Both ordinary people and sages equally make the original mind their mind. Dharma is complete by itself. You are already as you are. Maintain this well." So it's not so much a matter of gaining something. It's simply a matter of turning. Yesterday I was talking about how we actually act in a non-dualistic way by not seeing everything as an object, but treating everything according to its own life.

[26:39]

to recognizing the life within each thing, within each person and within each object. Each object has a life of its own. And to treat everything respectfully as what it is. This is an act of turning. So then he continues, the ascetic Sima came from Hunan. The ascetic Sima is an old hermit who people respected. He was Feng Shui, expert. He could tell where to put buildings and how to face them and so forth.

[27:47]

And Pai Chang said to him, I want to go to Mount Gui. Is that a good thing to do? Mount Gui is where Guishan established finally his after the mountain, that's Isan, Mount Isan, but we call it Mount Gui in Chinese. I want to go to Mount Gui. Is that a good thing to do? Mount Gui was this wonderful, beautiful place, but nobody had ever established anything there. And the ascetic said, Guishan is an extraordinary place. You could assemble 1,500 people there, but it's not a place for you to live. And the ascetic answered, you are a bone person and it's a flesh mountain. In other words, your personality doesn't fit that place. It's kind of more lush.

[28:53]

And Pai Chan was more ascetic maybe. If you resided there, you would have less than 1,000 students. Well, that's not bad. Pai Chong said, is there anyone in this community who could reside there? And the ascetic replied, well, let me look them over. So Pai Chong asked the attendant to call in the shuso, the head monk. And then he asked the ascetic, well, what about this one? The ascetic asked the shuso to clear his throat and walk several steps. and said, after he did that, he said, this monk is not acceptable. I can understand that. Depends on how you clear your throat tells a lot about who you are and how you take a step.

[30:08]

being watched to see how you do it, also is telling. So then Pai Cheng sent for the Tenzo, Isan. The ascetic said, this is indeed the master of Malgway. All he did was walk in the door and he could see right away. That evening, Paichang invited Isan into his room and entrusted him with these words. My place of teaching is here. I'm going to stay here. Mount Gui is an excellent spot. You reside there and continue my teaching and cross over the many newcomers, latecomers. Then, Hualin, the Shusou, heard about this. and said, I have the honor of being the head monk. How come Isan has to become the abbot of Mount Kui?

[31:10]

And Pai Chang said, well, if you can say a word in front of the assembly that demonstrates something unusual or that goes beyond status, I shall make you an abbot. Then he pointed at a water jar and said, if you don't call this a jar, what do you call it? And Hua Lin said, you can't call it a wooden stick. Pai Chang did not approve it. Not bad, but not good enough. Then he asked Yi San. Yi San kicked over the jar with his foot. Paichang laughed and said, this head monk is defeated by this mountain fellow. Mountain fellow means kind of unrefined, you know, the Tenzo, this mountain fellow, kind of rough, ruffian. Then he said, Isan to Mount Gui, this mountain was steep

[32:16]

Da Gui, or Isan, joined the monkeys and ate chestnuts. People at the foot of the mountain gradually learned about him. He raised the monastery, maintained the monastery with the assembly. Later, Li Jing Gong recommended to the emperor that the place should be given the name of Tong King Monastery, which means something like rejoicing together. And the Prime Minister Pei visited there to inquire about the profound mystery, and after that, students from all over assembled there. So it became a very famous place. But this turning over, kicking over the picture, is, well, Paichang asked, If you don't call it a picture, what do you call it? What is it? So no matter what you say, it's still just a name.

[33:26]

What is the essence of this picture? What is this? Or without saying what this is, what is it? Issan did not treat it as an object. The head monk was still seeing it as an object. No matter what he said about it, it was not it. He could never, ever say what the picture is. But Issan became one with the picture. was no longer an object. Nissan revealed the essence of the picture as he revealed the essence of himself. He kicked it over with his foot.

[34:31]

This is like Rinzai giving a shout or turning over the table. How do you demonstrate Buddha nature? How do you demonstrate the essence? Isan, you know, used to sit, it's said, with a little stupa on top of his head, so if he fell asleep, it would fall in his lap. When I was Shuso, my teacher was Tatsugami Roshi,

[35:37]

And he told me that he used to sit with a can of nails on his head. So if he fell asleep, the nails would all fall down. So these guys practiced very hard all the time. So I just want to read one thing here. When Isan's teaching for Yangshan, his disciple, Isan said to Yangshan, by the ineffable subtlety of thinking without thinking, Turn your attention inward to reflect on the infinite power of the divine spark.

[36:42]

This is like akin to his awakening with Pai Chong. When your thinking can go no further, it returns to its source. When nature and form eternally abide, where phenomena and noumenon are not dual but one, it is there that abides suchness of true Buddha. So at the source, there's no division. This is what Suzuki Roshi meant by Always don't stray from big mind, whatever you're doing.

[37:50]

And then you can make decisions, you can discriminate, you can separate one thing from another, but at the same time, you realize that at the bottom, there's no separation. It's kind of like holding a bouquet of flowers. You know, you get this bouquet of flowers and then you hold it at the bottom and at the bottom it's one thing, but then all the branches come out and all the flowers are different and unique and separate from each other. or just in the ground. They all share the same ground. This way you don't get confused and you always know how to act in every situation.

[39:09]

You know how to kick over the bottle. The end.

[40:00]

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