Good morning, everyone. So this is Labor Day weekend. So I want to talk about work practice, but I want to talk about it today in terms of, well, in terms of some traditional teachings from our Soto Zen tradition, and in terms of what is sometimes called the Buddha work. So, I'll start with teachings from Dogen. 13th century Japanese monk who founded, brought back from China, this lineage of what's called Soto Zen. And his teaching about, well, Dogen's Pure Standards for the Zen Community, his teaching about

[01:01]

how work practice works in the monastic community. So this was taught at his temple in Eheji. And a lot of it has to do with a large residential monastic community set up. But parts of it have to do with the attitude that actually applies in our context. as a lay non-residential practice center and how we apply this. spirit and mind of Zazen, of this upright sitting, and this awareness to our work in the world. I'll start with some teachings from one of his most famous essays, Instructions for the Tenzo, or Head Cook. So our, a lot of people are away for the Labor Day weekend, including Ayshan, Nancy, who's our current Tenzo, Paula will be

[02:04]

taking over that position at the end of November, coming up fairly soon. And Dogen has some extensive instructions about that. So a lot of this applies though generally to how we do our work in the world, whatever kind of work it is. So one of them has to do with not getting too, taking what is at hand, not getting too excited. So in the context of the cook, even when you are making a broth of coarse greens, he says, do not arouse an attitude of distaste or dismissal. Even when you are making a high quality cream soup, do not arouse an attitude of rapture or dancing for joy. If you already have no attachments, how could you have any disgust? Although you may encounter inferior ingredients, do not be at all negligent. Although you may come across delicacies, be all the more negligent.

[03:07]

Never alter your state of mind based on materials. So, you know, I think this kind of attitude applies in many different work contexts. So we may be in a situation where there are difficulties or where what we have to work with may seem meager or, you know, not so elegant or whatever, or we may have a situation where sometimes in the course of whatever our work situation is, we have wonderful ingredients, wonderful possibilities, but the encouragement is to take care of these things diligently, whichever. not to get too excited when the situation in front of us presents wonderful opportunities, not to get too down or upset when the situation seems to be

[04:12]

Not so elegant, not so fancy. So that's an attitude about how we bring our mind to our work situation, how we take care of things, whatever the situation is. So again, I'm just going to mention a few of these kind of attitudinal instructions about, he goes into great detail about taking care of the ingredients in the kitchen and the way of taking care of feeding. in this context, a great deal of people, and we have our all-day sittings where we prepare meals for the people who are doing zazen, but the attitude behind it is something that applies in a lot of contexts. One of the most famous teachings in this essay is about the three minds. three kinds of attitudes, and these are joyful mind, nurturing mind, and magnanimous mind.

[05:24]

So these are attitudes to bring to whatever work we're doing. He says, what I call joyful mind is the happy heart. And he says, you must reflect that if you were born in heaven, you would cling to ceaseless bliss and not give rise to way-seeking mind. This would not be conducive to practice. So he's talking about joyful mind in terms of the joy of being able, for the tenzo, for the head cook, of being able to prepare food for people who are doing this practice and how wonderful that is. But I think we can appreciate that whatever our work situation is, that we can bring our practice mind, our attitude of caring for the world to that situation. Of course, the teaching of right livelihood, and I'll talk more about that tomorrow, and we can talk about it a little bit in the discussion today,

[06:28]

You know, we have more helpful or less helpful situations that we work in. And this is a great challenge to work practice in our world today. But this idea of joyful mind, to bring our best, most positive attitude to giving our best to the situation we're in, in our work situation. So that's the first one, joyful mind. The second one is nurturing mind. He says this is the mind of parents. So, for example, he says it is considering the three treasures, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, which we take refuge in as in our practice, in our sitting, in all of our practice activities. As a parent thinks of their only child, even impoverished, destitute people firmly love and raise an only child.

[07:30]

What kind of determination is this? Other people cannot know it until they actually become parents. Parents earnestly consider their child's growth without concern for their own wealth or poverty. They do not care if they are cold or hot, but give their child covering or shade. In parents' thoughtfulness, there is this intensity. So people who have aroused this mind of awakening comprehend it well. Only people who are familiar with this mind, this nurturing mind, are truly awake to it. So this nurturing mind is an important part of our practice. One of the chants that we do somewhat regularly here is called the Metta Sutta, the loving kindness scripture. And in that, there's the line, Let one do nothing that is mean or that the wise would reprove.

[08:34]

May all beings be happy. May they be joyous and live in safety. And it says, let none by anger or hatred wish harm to another. Even as a mother at the risk of her life watches over and protects her only child, so with a boundless mind should one cherish all living things. suffusing love over the entire world, above, below, and all around without limit. So let one cultivate an infinite goodwill toward the whole world. This is this attitude of nurturing mind. And we can bring this to our work situation. How do we nurture goodwill in the work situation amongst our fellow workers in terms of doing our best to make the work that we do helpful to others? How do we find a way to make our work helpful to all beings in that kind of spirit?

[09:40]

The third mind that he talks about, that Dogen talks about for the Tenzo is magnanimous mind, or it literally is just great mind, large mind. He says about this, as for what is called magnanimous mind, this is like the great mountains or like the great ocean. It is not biased or contentious mind. How do we have, how do we bring to our efforts a spirit that's not biased or contentious? And then, as Dogen often does, even when he's talking about practical matters, he gets poetic.

[10:43]

He says, although drawn by the voices of spring, do not wander over spring meadows. Viewing the fall colors do not allow your heart to fall. The four seasons cooperate in a single scene. Regard light and heavy with a single eye. On this single occasion, please write the word great for Magnanimous. How do we see things in this? How do we see our life? How do we see our efforts in this way of being magnanimous, being open-hearted and full-spirited? So these are instructions to the Tenzo for how to approach their work. We could see these also as just instructions for how to approach our life in the world. We could see these also as Zazen instructions, how to approach our own body, mind as we sit upright and breathing.

[11:45]

facing the wall, facing ourselves. But then we emphasize in this tradition also that this, naturally, this spirit that we connect with as we sit, carries into our life. So in this teaching he, of of his instructions for practice. I thought I'd also read a little bit from his instructions for the work leader. So Paula is our work leader now. So in our context, this means, especially on Sundays, we have a period of temple cleaning. We'll do that after the Dharma talk, brief period of temple cleaning. And the work leader gives out the assignments for that. when Paula switches up to being the Tenzo at the end of November, Brian Taylor will be taking that position. And what Dogen says about that is, again, in the context of a very large monastic community, some of it applies here.

[12:55]

The job of the work leader is generally to take charge of arranging all the work in the temple. They must conduct all repairs in the temple, and all the daily work, and take care of all the daily work, tools, and equipment. As the time requires, take care of repairs and replacement of all the decorations and ornaments. Take care of the various aspects of the workplaces, and he talks about the places in the large monastery. Circulating throughout the temple, the work leader must protect it by keeping out burglars, must assign and supervise the various workers. All this must be arranged with an attitude of serving everyone with strong effort, understanding when and knowing how each task must be carried out. If there are major repairs or significant projects, they should be conducted after consultation and getting the approval of the teacher, then conferring with the other temple administrators about the work leader's plans.

[13:56]

They should not be done only according to the work leader's own viewpoint." So part of this is kind of Sangha practice, how we take care of our practice and our practice place together. So, you know, how we translate this. So this is for an intentional community. And even in the context of what we are doing here, in a non-residential context, how do we take care of this place together and think about it together? It's more challenging, it's maybe more advanced practice to how do we have this attitude in a context where the people we're working with are not thinking about how to take care of this in the context of the Buddha work. But still, how do we bring this spirit into whatever work we're doing in the world? And part of the idea of our practice is that when we are being conscientious and caring in this way, it affects people around us.

[15:05]

And this is just true, it happens. Of course, there are people sometimes who are very difficult. And then how do we, instead of you know, a spirit of name-calling and so forth, and finding fault. How do we try and be helpful, even to the people who are difficult? So this is challenging. So, again, a lot of what Dogen says about the work leader in this context of a large monastic community. But he says the work leader's efforts are the assembly of monks' efforts. So the Sangha and the work leader work together. So I wanted to start with that as a context, but then also talk about what's sometimes called the Buddha work. So I'll start with a teaching from one of Dogen's predecessors, Hongzhe, who lived a century before in the 1100s in China.

[16:17]

And so this is kind of more the attitude of what is the Buddha work beyond formal work practice. So this is Hongzhi was kind of a Dharma uncle of Dogen a century before in China in what was called Saodong in Chinese or Soto Zen. So I'll just read this passage, which is kind of expression of his awakened awareness. The empty field of awareness cannot be cultivated or proven. From the beginning, it is altogether complete, undefiled and clear down to the bottom. where everything is correct and totally sufficient, attain the pure eye that illuminates thoroughly, fulfilling liberation. Enlightenment or awakening involves enacting this.

[17:23]

Stability develops from practicing it. Birth and death originally have no root or stem. Appearing and disappearing originally have no defining signs or traces. The primal light, empty and effective, illumines the head top. The primal wisdom, silent but also glorious, responds to condition. So in this practice, sitting upright, we can connect with this fundamental, what he calls, empty field, this basic fundamental awareness, which is already here. This isn't about figuring out or realizing something new. This is about connecting with something that is deeply present already. And he says this, Hongshu says this in many ways. And then he says, the primal wisdom, silent but also glorious, responds to conditions.

[18:24]

So this practice is about realizing something that is already deeply present and then learning how to respond to the situation we are in in the world and all of its complexities and all of the suffering it involves. Then he says, when you reach the truth without middle or edge, cutting off before and after, then you realize one wholeness. So one way to describe what this practice of zazen allows us to see is this possibility of wholeness, the sense of just being presence completely. and that in spite of or actually right alongside of all of the difficulties and problems in our own lives, and of course in the world, there is this reality of wholeness that we can see and we can respond with.

[19:35]

So he says, everywhere sense faculties and objects both just happen. As we sit, we are aware of thoughts and feelings. They arise. They go away. The one who sticks out his broad, long tongue, referring to the Buddha and his teaching, transmits the inexhaustible lamp, radiates the great light, and performs the great Buddha work from the first, not borrowing from others, one atom from outside the Dharma, from outside reality. Clearly this affair occurs within your own house. So this is Hongzhi's description of the great Buddha work. This is a very lofty description, but this is something we're all connected with through our practice, through our sitting. Performing the great Buddha work.

[20:37]

So I wanted to connect this great Buddha work that Hongxue is invoking with this practical sense of work practice. What is the Buddha work? In some sense, just, and for, we have a couple people who are here for the first time doing Zazen here, which is wonderful for all of us, just to sit and express Buddha. in your body mind, as it is here this morning, with all the thoughts and feelings and confusion and reflections and whatever thoughts were coming through as you sat this morning, just to sit like Buddha sitting upon his mount Sumeru pedestal on the altar in the middle of the room.

[21:38]

We're each expressing in this body mind, Buddha, in our own way. This is the great Buddha work. So it's not, in this tradition, it's not about figuring something out or getting some understanding of some great wisdom. Of course, it's okay if you have some understanding, and it's possible, but ultimately, it's beyond any understanding we can have. And yet, how do we, through our own work, through whatever work we are doing in our life, in this life, in the world, express the Buddha work? And we kind of learn about that through sitting and facing the wall and just breathing. So I want to go back to Dogen and give another example about talking about the Buddha work.

[22:42]

So this is from a text that we sometimes chant, maybe not often enough because it's a little bit long, but this is called the Self-Fulfillment Samadhi. Well, the section I want to read is about the Buddha work, but a little before that, Dogen says, when one displays the Buddha mudra, this Buddha position, with one's whole body and mind sitting upright in this samadhi, this meditation, even for a short time, everything in the whole, in the entire phenomenal world becomes Buddha mudra, and all space in the universe completely becomes enlightenment. So this is a rather amazing claim for what this, for the Buddha work that this Zazen does. sitting upright, but he says to express this Buddha position with one's whole body and mind actually allows all space in the universe to awaken.

[23:57]

This isn't necessarily something that we realize or recognize as it's happening. How could we possibly get our head around that? But that's what Dogen claims is happening and what happened just now as we were doing this. But he has this passage a little later on where he talks about the Buddha work a little bit. So I want to read from this and then maybe have some discussion about how this relates to bringing the Buddha work into our work in the world and the challenges of that and the real challenges of that. So Dogen says, there is a path, there is a path through which the unsurpassed complete enlightenment of all things returns to the person in Zazen and that person and the enlightenment of all things intimately and imperceptibly assist each other. So this important and wonderful teaching that he's talking about that we're not alone.

[25:04]

We can't sit alone. We are connected to everything. All the people you've ever known, everybody else in the room, not just people, but all the things of the world. We intimately and imperceptibly assist each other. Then he says, therefore, this Sazen person without fail drops off body and mind, cuts away previous tainted views and thoughts, awakens genuine Buddha Dharma, universally helps the Buddha work in each place, as numerous as atoms, where Buddhas teach and practice, and widely influences practitioners who are going beyond Buddha, who are Buddhas going beyond themselves, thereby vigorously exalting the dharma that goes beyond Buddha.

[26:07]

So this is the Buddha work that's going on in each place. So this is a very wonderful description of the Buddha work. At this time, because Earth grasses and trees, fences and walls, tiles and pebbles, and all things in every direction in the universe carry out Buddha work. So this Buddha work isn't something that just we do. It's something that is part of the nature of things in the world. So everyone, because of this Buddha work, receives the benefit of the wind and water movement, the movement of phenomena, caused by this functioning, and all are imperceptibly helped by the wondrous and incomprehensible influence of Buddha to actualize the enlightenment at hand. So, okay, this is a very, we might say, lofty description of the Buddha work.

[27:13]

But I wanted to, you know, in the context of Labor Day and thinking about work and work practice, you know, connect this sense of the Buddha work to, okay, how do we take care of work practice, temple cleaning, taking care of doing the best we can to bring positive attitude, these three minds, a joyful mind, nurturing mind, a magnanimous mind, to our own work in the world, and seeing that as connected to this Buddha work. This is maybe a very kind of lofty, high, standard for how to carry out our lives, especially, you know, given all of the difficulties in the world. But maybe it's especially in the context of all the difficulties in the world, all the difficulties in our own hearts, all of our own patterns of greed, hate and delusion, grasping and anger, fear, confusion, sadness and pain.

[28:26]

The reality of this world, and yet, This practice is about also recognizing this aspect of the Buddha work that is part of the, not just part of, that is the underlying nature of the reality of the world that we learn in this practice. It may seem poles apart from all of the problems that we know in the world, gun violence and cruelty and hatred and wars and poverty. So our practice is not to ignore any of that, racism, climate damage. We live in a world that is full of suffering. And yet, here we're hearing about the Buddha work.

[29:32]

How does the Buddha work address all of this? So this is the scope of our practice and the scope of work practice. And in this Labor Day weekend, how do we bring all of this into the challenges for each of us of our own work practice? So I want to leave some time for responses, questions, reflections. Please feel free, comments, anyone. Yes, Miriam, hi. Yeah, I think we can, if we're looking for this, we can see bodhisattva spirit, the spirit of awakening beings, in all kinds of contexts.

[31:12]

Busboys in restaurants who bring joyous mind to cleaning up after spilled water. That's a perfect example. Yeah, it doesn't have to be fancy, just how do we bring these nurturing minds, magnanimous mind, joyful mind, to whatever situation? Thank you. Yes, Chris. There's a teaching by Hilde, which I'm not sure if I'm paraphrasing this correctly, but I think it goes something like compassion is as simple as reaching back to That's how I sort of feel about... I mean, there is a lot of, you know, an important role for a lot of these big non-initiate kids and that sort of thing, but I find, you know, like there is a... Because I work at a restaurant and I also work in a high school, and there was a woman who was sleeping outside a couple of days ago in the morning, outside the restaurant.

[32:29]

It was really, really hot. Nobody offered her a glass of ice water, so I brought her out a lot. And I felt that was... I feel like there's this aspect of compassion that isn't planned, or it's just in the moment you have this response that comes up, and you feel like... Something like that, I think on a small scale, this is maybe an impact that is felt elsewhere. At least that's how I feel. Yeah. In ordinary, everyday ways, how do we just express kindness? Yeah, another good example. Thank you. Yes, sir? Oh, good.

[33:32]

Bad examples are really good. Yeah. Well, when you were talking about Buddha work in the Hanju and Sogyen, those descriptions of that state of mind sounded to me just like freedom. It sounded like something that was freedom. And I guess I think of work and my homework Good, that's the question, exactly, yes, thank you. Yeah, and so, you know, so I mentioned this whole issue of right livelihood. It's one of the Eightfold Paths, which is part of the Four Noble Truths, and it's right effort, and right speech, and right action, and right meditation, but I think for us,

[34:42]

It's one of the most important teachings of early Buddhism, right, livelihood. And there's lots of ways to think about it. How do we find a way of making a living that is helpful rather than harmful, you know? That is, where the end product isn't making weapons of mass destruction, for an extreme example. And we live in a, and our economy now sometimes is very challenging. And I think for young people and college graduates, it's difficult to find jobs and to find jobs that feel helpful. And yet we've had examples of working in a restaurant and being helpful there. So right livelihood is a real challenge.

[35:47]

But even if you have a job that is something that you feel is your life work, like teaching or doing something constructive, as I know your job is, just the day-to-day going to work part of it can feel burdensome at times, of course. So how do we generate the spirit of enjoyment I was reading this self-fulfillment samadhi. It can also be read as the self-enjoyment samadhi. How do we enjoy ourselves in our work? How do we bring that spirit to it? you know, there's a little bit of intention and effort in doing that. How do we decide, okay, I'm going to, you know, I'm tired and I have, and I know I have these tasks to do today and I have to deal with this person who's difficult or that person or whatever. And yet, how do we decide to make this the Buddha work today?

[36:55]

So we have to, sometimes we have to kind of, Take it on that way. And sometimes that's, some days it's really difficult. So you have to forgive yourself for the bad days, you know? Be kind to yourself too. And it doesn't always feel like it's the great Buddha work, you know? So sustaining practice is really important. It's not about just finding some peak experience. It's about how do we take care of, so for people who are here for the first time, doing this zazen practice regularly, several times a week at least, is really important to just, I know some people come to Ancient Dragon, a few times a month or something, but really doing it regularly, doing this at home regularly, having a space in your life to just stop and sit and face the wall and just be there.

[38:10]

And whatever happens is okay. You don't have to give yourself a grade. I know we tend to do that. We make judgments. Oh, that was a good period of Zazen. That was a crummy period of Zazen. Oh, I was sleepy or I was confused and angry and lots of thoughts. It doesn't matter. Just to give yourself a space to stop, face the wall, breathe, pay attention. Whatever happens is okay. just to give yourself a space where you're not trying, where you're just there. It's just a gift to yourself to be present. And I think you can bring that spirit to your work too. It doesn't have to be your, you know, today doesn't have to be your best work day ever. But how do you sustain a spirit of bringing These three minds are bringing a positive attitude to your work.

[39:11]

Anyway, other thoughts about this? Douglas. I was wondering if you could say a little bit more about Magnet and this line. What is the difference between that and what? Oh, I see. Well, I mean, they're all, they're kind of related, the three minds, but a joyful mind is just to have, to appreciate this opportunity that we have to be alive, really, and that we have connected with practice and that we have this sense of the possibility of of approaching our lives and our work, whatever it is, with this positive attitude. And nurturing mind is that we see that we're not just practicing for ourselves, that all of our efforts can be directed towards taking care of the people around us, the people we care about, and all beings.

[40:30]

And that does actually, that can be a way of joyful mind, to actually be, you know, the way a parent nurtures their only child. And that example, to really care about taking care of people, beings. other kinds of beings too, the way we take care of a pet dog too. And then magnanimous mind is just this kind of open heartedness to be willing to see the, we talk about seeing Buddha in all beings, to see the possibility, even the person who you have a difficulty with, to see the positive qualities there, to see potential, to... It's kind of open-heartedness.

[41:34]

It doesn't mean you don't see when there's a problem. You can look at the problem and see, well, how can I be helpful in that situation? Sometimes there's nothing to do. Sometimes you just practice patience and watch attentively and you just, you know, maybe stay out of the way. But that magnanimous mind is to be willing to see possibilities and to be ready and willing to pay attention enough to be ready and willing to be helpful when there's something you can do. So that's a little bit. Any other comments or specific questions if anyone has some work situation that you want to bring to this discussion? So this is challenging. Yes, Paula. what we're trying to bring to mind that's not local-oriented to our work practice.

[42:48]

And it's easier when we're just speaking the language. Okay. But that's a simple task. So when things get more complicated, it's much more difficult to bring that kind of mind. And again, we live in a very complicated world. Yes. And most of the people here are professional people. Many people are professional people, where there's all these different factors playing on them, if they're doing their job or not. going to the job and leaving it with a bang in this month. Because there's bureaucracy and they keep telling you there's a certain way you have to do things.

[43:54]

And then there's the reality of what's happening in your work area. And then there's all these other political and economic factors. So I mean, I don't have an answer. I mean, the idea is that if we just engage this way, it's supposed to work out. It's hard to accept that and to have faith in that. I mean, I don't have any answers either. I'm just acknowledging how difficult it can be. Good. Good. Yeah, I think part of doing this practice is, yeah, this is challenging. And so part of Joyful mind is enjoying taking on that challenge. And the whole thing about goal-oriented, we could say we have a goal, which is to, we're gonna chant in a little bit the four bodhisattva vows, to free all beings, to end all delusions.

[45:03]

So we have these inconceivable goals. We have bigger goals. The problem is when we have limited goals and then, you know, we think we have to get those. And we don't really know how change happens. So, you know, this is an important issue when we think about, you know, social problems in the world. How do we end racism or how do we take care of climate change? Change happens in ways that we don't, can't, control. So part of it is getting rid of our sense of control and still making effort. If we think we, if we have a goal that we think we can control and it has to happen in such and such a way, that's a problem. But if we're willing to just give our effort towards positive, positive

[46:06]

help in the world, then change can happen, and positive things can happen. And the people in our workplace, for example, who are acting in a way that is difficult might shift and change. They might see it's possible. Change happens. So the problem with goals is if we have some limited goal where we think we know what the change is that needs to happen. But if we just make this effort, if we just do this Buddha work and try and be helpful, we don't know what can happen. So that's my little pep talk for you.

[47:04]

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