surpassed when a trade had So lovely to be here practicing with all of you in Old Plum Tree Mountain Temple, a house that Mel built. I've been thinking about my teacher a lot lately.

[01:31]

Soja Roshi would love it if somebody asked him, what should I do to prepare for sashimi? How should I get ready for sashimi? And he would say, don't. Get a big kick out of that. Just show up on day one, follow the schedule, and see what happens. I think that's really good advice. A sashim, through the efforts of many people, we create, co-create, this very nice container, this very safe space where we can just completely let go, or as our said this morning, drop body and mind.

[02:38]

Just let it go. Let it go. It's very traditional for a Zen temple to have a mountain name, a name with the word mountain in it. because it is very traditional from our heritage to Tang Dynasty China and many places including Tassahara for Zen people to practice in a remote mountain monastery. But a temple in the middle of Tokyo would also have a mountain name because it's a place to go to at that moment.

[03:42]

That can be your remote mountain monastery. And my wish for all of us is that this is our remote mountain monastery. This is a time and a space where we can be completely devoted to practicing the Buddha way in this rather formal style that we have that creates the space for us to completely let go. I wish that for all of us. Wish I hope you have a challenging sashim. I hope that you will find sashim challenging. You know, it's just easy-peasy, lemme-squeezy, full of this, doing it, doing it, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[04:51]

I got this. Well, you're a very unusual person, I'll say that. I never sat a single sashim. that didn't kick my Heidi one way or another. And that's the truth. A couple hundred or so. I don't know. I don't know. Every time. Get my Heidi kicked. Yep. Nobody ever... Yet here we are. Keep coming back. Some of you have known for a long, long time. Keep coming back. Isn't it amazing? And I think that one challenge that many of us may be encountering

[06:04]

this particular sashim, is what's happening in the world, right now, in this nation and elsewhere, all around the world. Times of great chaos and uncertainty. It's the U.S. plunging towards fascism there, Thinking about now, I think he'd have a thing or two to say about that. But what I want to say about that, right here, right now, is that I hope for the time you are here, you can drop that too. It's proper. It's understandable. I'm right there with you. to be concerned or outraged, angry even.

[07:09]

And if I'm just a black cushion being angry, I'm not benefiting anybody, the least of all myself. Toward that end, as I did with my machine, I've turned off all my devices. I'm not looking at the news. I'm not looking at any of it. Is that a willful ignorance, a willful turning away? I don't think so. It's just for this time. Because it's not going to help me at all. My experience of doing it in Rahatsu, it was pretty powerful. Just like, you know, nothing.

[08:14]

Leave it alone. And I know that's a privilege. I acknowledge that. I was talking about that with Colleen, you know, and I told her my plan to do that. And she was like, yeah, that sounds nice. I can't do that, you know. She has to be able to be available, communicate with them. But lucky me, I can do that. And maybe some of you can as well, if you like, or to whatever extent you think you can. I would suggest it. I think that's a wonderful quality about Tasa Hara. Maybe not so much these days, but historically, Tassara has been always like, sometimes like, behind the news cycle. Now there's no news cycle, it's just a fire hose.

[09:17]

Every day. That's crazy making. We have to be able to drop it sometimes. We have to be able to let it go. ignoring the cries of the world. It doesn't mean that at all. There's another Dogen fascicle we didn't talk about. We've been studying the Lotus Sutra, this practice period, in case you didn't know. Been having a lot of fun with it. And there's another Dogen fascicle that we didn't mention that is peripherally associated with the Lotus Sutra. Kugei, flowers in the sky. Sometimes flowers of emptiness.

[10:21]

The character ku could mean emptiness like in the Heart Sutra or Hozan Kushi, our beloved apple. It can mean emptiness. In this case, I think it means sky, flowers in the sky. And Dogen goes off onto a lot of riffs about flowers in that particular fascicle. And one thing he says, which I did not have to memorize. The time and place that blue lotus flowers open and spread are in the midst of fire and in the time of fire. The blue lotus flowers is us. Bodhisattvas are born in the fire.

[11:27]

There's no need for bodhisattvas. The fire of the world, the crucible of this Saha world, is what makes bodhisattvas. And we can feel that fire externally and internally. What is it that bodhisattvas do? What is it that bodhisattvas do? What do bodhisattvas do? Anybody else?

[12:36]

Radiate compassion. One of my favorites. Sen? Put out the fire. Burhisattvas are dedicated to sentient beings. and is what bodhisattvas awaken to. There are no suffering sentient beings, no need for bodhisattvas. And that's all of us. And famously, bodhisattvas practice giving.

[13:45]

Bodhisattvas practice all the six paramitas. It's, I think, mentioned in every single Mahayana Sutra that I'm aware of. It talks about the six paramitas. The first of which is dana, or giving. And it's first because the other paramitas, if you don't have a generous heart. And one of the greatest gifts that bodhisattvas give is the gift of non-fear. have to be stabilized. We have to be able to access our center.

[14:49]

We have to connect with our breath at all times, even in times of great adversity and distress. That's when it's the most important. When the fires are burning the hottest. That's when the blue lotus flowers bloom. It's a tall order. Hey, you. Please. Be a Bodhisattva, please. The world is requesting it of us. In Tassajara, I used to call it Bodhisattva Training Academy.

[15:57]

This is also a Bodhisattva Training Academy. And we are having lovely, Five days of intense training. A time to dedicate to just this. Doing just this. To mold us and shape us. Help us to grow. Training a vine on a trellis to a beautiful shape. Flowers and fruit can manifest in such a lovely way. People really appreciate it. People do appreciate it. People notice your practice, whether you know it or not. People really appreciate when you give the gift of non-fear.

[17:08]

and you are stable and you are able to access your center to stay connected with your breath no matter what that's a big deal I wanted to talk about my koan a little bit. I mentioned previously, Linda and I gave the Shuso a koan to work with, and the Shuso very generously returned the favor and gave me a koan. The Shuso said, can Zazen be

[18:11]

devotion?" I said, yes. Without hesitation, I said, yes. Then, right away, it was a koan. That's the koan. Shuso asked Greg, can zazen be an act of devotion? Greg said, yes. That's the koan. Because what follows is, well, how? How is zazen an act of devotion? You know, this came up because we're studying the Lotus Sutra and the Lotus Sutra is devotional in its aspect, devotional practice. We had Reverend McCormick here, such a wonderful man, wonderful teacher, Nichiren. It's a totally devotional practice. Just chanting, Nam-no-renge-kyo, Nam-no-renge-kyo, devoted to the Lotus Sutra.

[19:19]

How is that in our school? How is Zazen an act of devotion? I've been turning this and turning this, and I've had some help, you know, because it's come up in Shosan ceremony, in some Q&As, Yeah, Jonathan asked. I was just like kind of stumbling over, going like this. I think I said something about what do I want to do with my life, you know. And then Karen asked Linda. And Linda asked Karen, what is it for you? Karen said, well, there's bowing. And I was like, bowing. Yeah. I love bowing. I think it's just lucky us that we have that practice.

[20:23]

Because it's something I do with my entire body. Lower my entire body to the ground. And yeah. I kid you not, it was the middle of the night. Middle of the night. I was like, oh yeah. Sazen is something you do with your entire body. Sazen is 100% body practice. Bowling is something you do with your entire body. Devotion is something you do with your entire body. When you see someone you love, it's just like... You know, it's not a . It's just your whole body. Yeah.

[21:36]

Talk about unconditional love, you know. We Siddhasan without any expectation. Siddhasan to be in communion with. To express our devotion to Buddha. To manifest Buddha in this body. In this body. And it's something we do with our whole bodies. So yes, zazen is an act of devotion. To the prospect that we are Buddha.

[22:38]

Devoted to the prospect that Quote the title of Norman Fisher's book, The World Could Be Otherwise. You don't have to be caught by the cycle of suffering. You don't have to be caught by the wheel of samsara. A better way is possible. And I firmly believe that... Well, of course I believe. I'm a Zenist. I'm sitting up here wearing these Zen robes. Of course I believe this. You know, I often say it's not for everybody.

[23:41]

But for me, for me, this is how I am going on getting this devotion into this body for the benefit of others. Right women? Bodhisattvas are dedicated to that. That's how I feel. It's done. In the body. Well, I also said in, this may be a couple of mini-talks, in the last class, I talked about the formless repentance that is mentioned in the

[25:06]

Lodha Sutra and Susan asked me about that. How about that? Day one. So, it's day one. So, I'll just say a little bit about that. First off, chapter 28 of the Lodha Sutra is where Samakta Bantra shows up. It's a lovely chapter. However, What I'm talking about is in the, you might call it epilogue. If you have the three-fold Lotus Sutra, there's a Sutra before and a Sutra after bookends. There's an introduction, a Sutra of innumerable meanings, and there's a Sutra afterwards called the Sutra on the Meditation of Samatha Bhadra. It's in there. It's in there where Samatha Bhadra talks about formless repentance.

[26:08]

And I find it interesting that also in the Flower Ornament Sutra, the Avatamsaka Sutra, the very end, such just amazingly beautiful scripture. At the very end of the maxim is the vows of Samadabhadra. And that's where we find the formal repentance that we do. You heard it in our priest ordination that we just had, where Lori and Peter ordained Joe and Clay. And we start with repentance, admitting that you're a human being. And that's in the Avatamsaka Sutra. All my ancient tangled karma, discreet, hate and delusion, born through body, speech and mind, I now fully avow.

[27:19]

In the Sutra on the Meditation of Samantabhadra, which comes after the main part of the Lotus Sutra in the Three... Samantabhadra offers this other kind of repentance called formless repentance. And it's been translated many ways, but here's one I like. The whole ocean of hindrances arises from illusions. If you want to repent, you should sit upright and reflect on the true nature of things. All sins are like frost and dew. the sun of wisdom can dissipate them. For this reason, with all your heart, repent of the six senses. Well, what does he mean by repenting of the six senses? It could be a whole other Dharma talk.

[28:24]

But I would say briefly, the way I understand that is Something else from Dogen that chanted many, many times, Tazahara of the Kendra Koan, where Dogen says, to carry yourself forward and experience myriad things is delusion. That myriad things come forth and experience themselves. So this repent is turning back and letting myriad things come forth and experience themselves. This is how I understand repenting of the six senses. And sit upright, contemplate the true nature of, what's his translation saying? Reflect on the true nature of things.

[29:29]

Yeah, in Japanese. which is also in Chapter 2 of the Lotus Sutra where very famously it says only a Buddha together with a Buddha can understand the true nature of reality. Same word. And I think what Susu Hiroshi was pointing to when he always said things as it is. When we sit up, sit upright, not grasping at anything, not pushing anything away, just allowing the myriad things to come forth and experience themselves without judgment. We have

[30:34]

This golden opportunity to just be a clean slate. Nothing else going on. You are Buddha in that moment. This is the opportunity provided by Sashim. This is the gift that we all give each other in Sashim. I'm sitting up here on this little mini-tod, currently facing out into the room.

[31:45]

I'm so lucky I get to see all these Buddhas, all these bodhisattvas sitting so strongly. It's incredibly inspiring. Incredibly inspiring. And I thank you all. I thank you all for this practice, which is so meaningful, whether you know it or not. That's my sticking to it. not trying to modulate or modify your experience, just allowing the many things to come forth and experience themselves, is also an act of devotion. It's an act of faith, actually.

[32:51]

It's a word that a lot of people have trouble with. So maybe I'll just say trust. How often have I heard Sojan Roshi say, just trust your practice. Trust your practice. I will conclude with a little bit more of Kugei. These sparks and flames are the place and time of the Blue Lotus opening and blooming. All sparks and flames in the place and time

[33:54]

of the place and time of the blue lotus opening and blooming. Know that in a single spark are hundreds of thousands of blue lotuses blooming in the sky, blooming on the earth, blooming in the present. Experiencing the actual time and place of this fire is the experience of the blue lotus. Do not drift by this time and place of the blue lotus flower. I'll repeat that last sentence. Do not drift by this time and place of the blue lotus flower. That's pretty slow advice. Stay present.

[34:58]

Stay present, y'all. Stay present for whatever arises. This is the blue lotus flower blooming. Thousands of blue lotuses. That does sound like the lotus are driving. And when I look around, this is what I see. I see hundreds and thousands of blue lotuses Blooming in the midst of the fire. Thank you very much. I don't know. It's very traditional to take questions at the Brookly Zone Center. I toyed with you. Maybe I shouldn't. Because it's a sheen. Just like. Let's just sit. Let's devote ourselves to Sashimi. But I cannot.

[36:02]

Gary! Oh, I can see if somebody has their hand raised. The Zoom swoops. Hi, y'all. Hi, Frank. Yes, Gary. Thank you for your talk. Very good. Enjoyed it. Buddha together with a Buddha. It seems like that statement, I've heard it phrased differently, like a Buddha and a Buddha. a Buddha together with a Buddha. It seems to turn on that together with, and I wonder what you could say about that, or if you could say anything about that.

[37:10]

Well, here we all are. We are here together. We practice together. Personally, it's not something that comes easily to me. And although I have done this, I can go somewhere by myself and sit down, but I almost never do. Almost never. For me, this is something I do in community. This is something I do as a Sangha. I take risk of Sangha as the perfect life.

[38:14]

I really think that's... I mean, why it's, you know, one-third of the Triple Treasure? Because this is, as they say in the... 12-step groups, how it works. How it works. It works through our interaction. It works through our being with each other. So you see focus on practice discussion as another example of it? Definitely. Definitely, yes. Thank you. Nice.

[39:24]

Peaceful. Settled. and settle it a little bit. Thank you very much, Craig Roshi. You encouraged us, as Colleen said this morning, drop body and mind here during Sashim. How do we do that when we're not in Sashim? In other words, what's the balance between taking care of what's in front of us not getting caught and dropping the stuff that maybe distracts us from the busyness of the prior tooth machine. Yeah. Yeah. That is the question, actually. Genjo Koan. Koan of everyday life.

[40:26]

Well, My probably less than adequate response is, as I said in the beginning of this talk, we have this golden opportunity right now to cultivate, to really study the self, to study this body and mind. and connect with. In particular, connecting, staying with the breath. I think for me, and I think for Soto Roshi, this was key. This is key. This is elemental. And that's something that we can do all the time.

[41:37]

Even if you're having an argument with somebody, that's very challenging to do. If you're having an argument with somebody, am I connected with the breath? Can I find myself? Very challenging. And I feel that, you know, what we're doing right now, this golden opportunity, It's also challenging, but in a different way. And we're really giving ourselves this chance to cultivate that. So it becomes more accessible in times when it's more challenging. In times of adversity and distress, we can still even, you know, maybe not 100%, but any amount is good. to whatever extent we can stay connected with the body, stay connected with the breath, is a good.

[42:44]

To me, it's just like, yeah. So, to continue this practice, as we say, gyōji, continuous practice, whether it's on or off the cushion. I understand you. Dropping body and mind is no different than connecting to breath. Yeah. I think when we are able to really connect with this present experience without the concerns the judgments, the worries, whatever it is that's going on, which, you know, they're all valid. If you think they're valid, they're valid.

[43:48]

What can I say? But we have the capacity to not do that. to whatever extent we can is good. Just, yeah. Yes, letting go of our concerns. Yeah, yeah. Thank you very much. Yeah, thank you. We have a couple questions online. Oh, thank you. Hi. Can you hear me? We can hear you. Oh, you seem surprised that technology works. It's amazing. Thank you for this talk.

[44:51]

I'm going to be thinking about what you said about Donna, the gift of Donna, the gift of non-fear. Mm-hmm. So I'm thinking about much of it, but I read the fire monks and you all who stayed to fight the fire and save Tassajara. My goodness, how did you deal with fear? each person in their own way. Linda Gallien always says, courage isn't the absence of fear. Courage is being able to go forward in the presence of fear. By the way, I did not stay in front of the fire.

[45:56]

I was down there, I was putting sprinklers on top of roofs, but then my actual work practice position was treasurer's CFO. And our controller, Cliff Wynn, called me and said, we're broke. Because the guest season cash flow went. The guests all disappeared. There was no more cash flow. Cliff said, you've got to get down here. We're broke. So I left and went back to doing something other than putting sprinklers on top of the buildings. For all of that. You're welcome. Clay, then Carol. Thank you. You're going to hold it up like this. You're holding it horizontal. Thank you very much for your talk. We've been talking about a Buddha and another Buddha.

[47:00]

I'm wondering if you can have a Buddha without another Buddha. I think that in theory, you know, the Lotus Sutra talks about this, the other vehicles, and one of them is the way of the Pratyeka Buddha, the Self-Enlightened Buddha. The Lotus Sutra includes that. It's very inclusive, Todo Sutra. All these paths are good. They ultimately lead to one vehicle. But if your practice is Pratyekha Buddha practice, that's fine. Thanks. Sure. Carol? Thank you for your talk, Greg.

[48:05]

Welcome. How do you deal with sleepiness? It could be because of an aging body, difficulty sleeping, and then we come to Zazen and it's challenging to stay present, to stay in that moment. Is that really Zazen? I agree. I may be the best person to talk about this because mostly, that has not been my problem. Mostly, I have my pain and agitation to keep me awake. And I practice with that. I feel like a dear departed friend, Jeffrey Schneider, he would say, when somebody asked him that, How do you deal with that?

[49:09]

You say, lucky you. You can fall asleep. That's amazing. I think whatever's going on, if it's painful and agitated, it's painful, agitated Buddha. If it's emotionally upset Buddha, if it's Sleepy is Sleepy Buddha. That's all. It's very important that we be able to accept ourselves as we are in each moment. You can't go around saying, oh, I reject that version of myself. That just doesn't fly. It's dualistic thinking in the extreme. So whatever's going on, it's important to be able to accept it.

[50:14]

And just be with that. You may not like it. I don't blame you. You may not like it at all. But if that's what's happening, then welcome to Sleepy Buddha. It still comes as shame, regardless of surprise. you know, lack of sleep. I have a bumper sticker in my cabin.

[50:47]

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