I want to speak this evening about our bodhisattva practice, or some aspect of it, that arises from this zazen practice we do, including all beings, realizing our connection with all beings, trying to be helpful with all beings. So we've just chanted the universal gateway of Kanzeon Bodhisattva, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. And in this verse from the Lotus Sutra, it says that by mindfully invoking Kanzeon's power, the power of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, various difficulties and perils will not affect us that the bodhisattva of compassion comes to our help.

[01:05]

So this is an ancient text from the Lotus Sutra. I wanted tonight to talk about bodhisattva practice from the context of two modern verses. But first I'll read something that Dogen says about Bodhisattva practice. He says in his extensive record, the family style of all Buddhas and ancestors is first to arouse the vow to save all living beings by removing suffering and providing joy. Only this family style is inexhaustibly bright and clear. In the lofty mountains, we see the moon for a long time. As clouds clear, we first recognize the sky. Cast loose down the precipice, this moonlight shares itself within the 10,000 forms. Even when climbing up the bird's path, ascending on this bodhisattva path, taking good care of yourself is spiritual power.

[02:15]

So the actual practice of the Bodhisattva way of our vow to free innumerable sentient beings is challenging. I want to talk about this in terms of two modern verses. Could you take one and pass them around? These are Verses from Bob Dylan. So I'll take one and pass them around. So these are from very different times in his career. from another side of Bob Dylan in 1964, Chimes of Freedom, and then from Modern Times in 2006, When the Deal Goes Down. And well, you know, amongst, you know, we could interpret them in many other ways.

[03:21]

When the Deal Goes Down is certainly a love song as well, but I think they're both also bodhisattva songs. So I want to talk about them in that way. When Dylan got the Nobel Prize in Literature, I did a talk on, did everybody get both songs? There should be two. And the first one, Chimes of Freedom, has two sides. Does everybody have both of them? Chimes of Freedom and When the Deal Goes Down. I could just read them. So when he got the Nobel Prize in literature, I did a talk which, due to technical difficulties, didn't get recorded. I read at that time. Every Grain of Sand and Ring Them Bells, two of his more mystical songs, and Masters of War, I threw in, but tonight I could read them because, you know, he got the Nobel Prize in literature, so I guess the Nobel Committee thought they were worthy just as verses, but I thought I'd let Bob read them, or sing them for us.

[04:41]

So let's see how this works, another experiment in, and technology. We'll see how this goes. I'll be cleaning sundown's face and midnight's broken toe. We drop inside the doorways, thunder and crashing. As majestic vowels of voice struck shadows in the sound Seeming to be the times of freedom flashing Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight Flashing for the refugees

[05:45]

Some of the text, the written text does not match the song, especially in the third verse. As the walls were tightenin' As the echo of the wedding bells Before the blowin' rain Dissolved into the bells of the lightning Fallin' for the rebel Fallin' for the rake Towing for the necklace, they abandoned and forsake Towing for the outcasts, burdened constantly at stake And we gazed upon the chains of freedom flashing

[07:09]

hammering, and the wild ripping hail, the sky cracked its palms in naked wonder, and the clanging of the church bells blew far into the breeze, even all the bells of lightning and its thunder, Striking for the gentle, striking for the kind, striking for the guardians and protectors of the mind. And the poet and the painter, far behind his rightful time. And we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing, In the wild cathedral evening, the rain unraveled tails for the disrobed faceless forms of no position.

[08:33]

Toeing for the tongues with no place to bring their thoughts, all down in taken for granted situations. Calling for the deaf and blind Calling for the mute A mistreated, weightless mother A mistitled prostitute A misdemeanor outlaw Chained and cheated by pursuit And we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing Even though he curled to a curtain, in a far-off corner flared, and the hypnotic spirit mist was slowly lifting.

[09:44]

Electric light still sparked like arrows, fired much farther ones, condemned to drift Or else be kept from drifting. I'll lean for the searching ones, On that speechless seeking trail. For the lonesome, haunted lies, With too personal a tale. And for each unharmful, gentle soul was placed inside a jail. And we gazed upon the challenge of freedom crashing. We'll never know where we'll be, never where we'll be, never where we'll be, never where we'll be. Slowly naked and laughing, as I recovered we were caught, trapped by no track of ours for the hang suspended.

[11:08]

As we listened one last time, and we watched With one last look, spellbound and solid, till the towing ended. Towing for the Aking, those horns cannot be nursed. of the countless confused, accused, misused, strung at once, and worse. And for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe, and we gauged upon the chains of freedom splashing. So I want to talk about that as a Bodhisattva song and how it, to my mind, certainly relates to the Universal Gateway of Kamsa and Bodhisattva.

[12:22]

And that was from 1964, but I think before, I start talking about it. I'll just play the other song as well. The other song is from 2006, more than 40 years later, and in a lot of ways much more straightforward, but also a Bodhisattva song. So this is When the Deal Goes Down, and then I'll talk about both of them in turn. In the still of the night, in a world each night, where we grow in strength, happy we'll be, in times of need.

[13:24]

The arrow keeps turning around. We live and we die. We know not why, but are we with Him? With Him, no doubt. I lie and I cry and I'm haunted by things I've never meant or wished to say. We all wear the same foreign crown.

[14:50]

So, to soak our shadows, we'll go pounding in the deep below town. And my body must continue to bleed and bloat. We learn to live and then we forget all the roads that we've found alone. More frailer than the flowers

[15:54]

That keep us so tightly bound. You come to my arms. When I looked up at the moon, and it looked to the heart of my heart, I thought of him, the one I love the most in the world. I heard him telling me, I know that I won't miss you.

[17:08]

If suddenly, your name were to disappoint me, then you'd never see me for long. I hold my heart deep. So that's two Bodhisattva songs by Mr. Dylan. And so I want to talk about each of them in turn.

[18:10]

And to me, they both express some aspect of what this Bodhisattva practice that we are, that Zazen brings us to, what this is about. And they both relate in different ways to this maybe strange verse, conclusion to the Kanzeon chapter of the Lotus Sutra that we chanted. by mindfully invoking Kanzeon's power, at once their hearts will be turned to compassion or whatever, whatever situation. So Chimes of Freedom is, you know, this image, we gazed upon the Chimes of Freedom flashing And again, in both, well, in that song particularly, there's a catalog of, like in the Universal Gateway of Kanzeon Bodhisattva, there's a catalog of situations.

[19:18]

And part of Bodhisattva practice is, and one of our precepts, Bodhisattva precepts, is to include all beings, all the suffering beings. And this promise of freedom. In some way, by the end of the song, I hear this, we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing as another way of saying, sentient beings are numberless by that of freedom. this sense of freedom, and it's, you know, what is this chime of freedom? What does it mean to free all sentient beings? It's this inconceivable vow. It's kind of like this gazing upon the chimes of freedom that Dylan talks about. And, you know, he talks about a lot of specific things in here that are, and other powerful images. Warriors whose strength is not to fight. Peace warriors.

[20:23]

How do we You know, after yesterday, some of us were talking about the anniversary of Hiroshima and the endless warfare that our government has been waging. And what does it mean? What is the strength of not fighting? What kind of warriors are those? So all of these are images of bodhisattvas and also how the chimes of freedom are flashing. Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight. Well, now we certainly know about refugees from all of the places where there are wars in the Mideast, and all the places where there's climate damage, and the refugees who are being barred from this country. And yet, here's this song about the chimes of freedom flashing. So it's a kind of call to, it's like calling on Canzeon. mindfully invoking Kahnzeon's power, mindfully invoking or gazing upon the chimes of freedom.

[21:29]

It's a wishful song. It's looking at all of those who maybe in this song, from very early in his career, he's looking at all those who Need freedom, need help. Tolling for the luckless, the abandoned and forsaked, for the outcast burning constantly at stake. So this is, you know, the beginning of this more kind of symbolist poet, poetic period. Striking for the gentle, striking for the kind. these chimes, these bells. And then striking for the guardians and protectors of the mind, that's one of the main functions of the great bodhisattvas. So the ideals of the bodhisattvas, like Kanzeon, the bodhisattva of compassion, who hears the suffering of the world, who hears the chimes of freedom.

[22:36]

So we have these great bodhisattva figures like Kanzeon, and others. And partly they're, you know, in the universal gateway of Kamsayon Bodhisattva, that's, there's this sense of calling on them and popularly in Asia, there was this idea of calling on them kind of like calling for help from saints or something like that, but also from Arzazan, from this internal feeling of our connection with all beings, calling on us to also be guardians and protectors of the mind. How do we in Arzazan guard and protect our mind and the possibility of mind? So there are too many images and things to say about each of these songs, but I just wanted to point out a few. So again, there's these chimes of freedom.

[23:40]

He talks about tolling for the deaf and blind, tolling for the mute, the mistreated, maitless mother, the mistitled prostitute, the misdemeanor outlaw chased and cheated by pursuit. So all of those who are outcast, downcast, And again, sentient beings are numberless without a freedom. The gaze upon the chimes of freedom flashing. And then the next to last stanza, particularly, Well, this line, condemned to drift or else be kept from drifting. We may think of that and know that feeling at times. But then I particularly thought this line, tolling for the searching ones on their speechless seeking trail, particularly has to do with us, this searching. a speechless seeking trail, this practice of turning within and looking for our way and this endless path that we are engaged in.

[24:46]

And then, of course, the lonesome hearted lovers with too personal a tale, our own personal struggles and searching for love. And then for each unharmful, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail and our current society's problem with mass incarceration and with all of the people in prison for victimless crimes and all the people in prison who are actually innocent. All of these are invoked in this song. Again, there's so many strong, vivid images in this song. In the last verse, tolling for the aching ones whose wounds cannot be nursed. The countenance confused, accused, misused, strung out ones and worse. For every hung up person in the whole wide universe. And this, by the end, we gazed.

[25:49]

It's interesting, he puts it in past tense, the way it's sung. It's like he had this vision and he gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing. But I hear that as sentient beings are numberless. And then there's this, he doesn't quite say, I vow to free all beings, but it's kind of in there. There's another line I wanted to mention. Maybe that's in the next one. So again, I'm just pointing out a few things, and then I want to get responses from you. When the Deal Goes Down, a much more recent song, has some very interesting things in it, too. The refrain, I'll be with you when the deal goes down, this is more like from Kahnzeon's point of view. I'll be with you when the deal goes down. This is like how it feels for Kansai on, uh, you know, it could be a love song talking about, I'll be with you, you know, but it's like in all the, in all the places in the, in, in the, uh, in the chant where by mindfully invoking Kansai on his power, suddenly you shall be released by mindfully invoking Kansai on his power.

[27:07]

Upon hearing your voice, the snakes and scorpions will turn and depart and so forth. And this might be a vision of how it feels to Kahnzeon. Whatever it is, whatever the deal is, I'll be with you when the deal goes down. This might be how Kahnzeon feels. feels in this situation. There's a number of interesting things in the song. In the still of the night in the world's ancient light it begins where wisdom grows up in strife. This is our practice in the world. We learn skillful means. We practice in the world. We don't practice, you know, in some pure land where everything is wonderful. We practice particularly here in a you know, in a storefront temple in the middle of a city, a non-residential temple. We practice in the world. But wisdom grows up in strife. We learn from our mistakes. We learn by the difficulties in our life and in the world.

[28:10]

It's an interesting line. And it's an image of, you know, maybe nirvana and samsara, but certainly practicing in the middle of difficulty, that our wisdom grows, our ability to respond, to be helpful, grows in the middle of this difficulty. And yet, there's a humility to it. My bewildering brain toils in vain through the darkness on the pathways of life. Each indivisible prayer is like a cloud in the air. So from Kantian's point of view, all these prayers coming up in the air. And we don't know the outcome. We live and we die. We know not why. We don't know the effects of all of our kindness So again, there are many ways to interpret both of these songs, but I'm pointing out the Bodhisattva side of it.

[29:13]

Let's jump into the third verse. Well, the moon gives light and it shines by night. And of course, that reminds me of what Dogen says. In the lofty mountains, we'd see the moon for a long time. As clouds clear, we first recognize the sky. Cast loose down the precipice, the moonlight shares itself within the 10,000 forms. So here's the similar image. The moon gives light and shines by night. When I scarcely feel the glow, we learn to live and then we forgive. So this sense of openness and forgiving. So in some ways it feels to me like an echo of Chimes of Freedom, and it's also humbler and frailer, as he says, more frailer than the flowers.

[30:21]

And yet, I'll be with you when the deal goes down. He says, I hear the deafening noise, but I felt trenchant joys. This sense of being willing to face the difficulties in this earthly domain, full of disappointment and pain, you'll never see me frown. I'll be with you when the deal goes down. So anyway, I thought both of these songs expressed some aspect of what Bodhisattva practice is really like. in a practical, down-to-earth way, in a poetic way. And they both sort of, in different ways, echo something of this universal gateway of Kamsa and Bodhisattva. So, comments, questions, responses, any lines that particularly spoke to you? I'm interested in any comments.

[31:22]

Or if you don't see them as bodhisattvas songs, you want to say that? I think the second one, when the deal goes down, a lot of it personally I find that it kind of speaks to the different personal challenges and personal suffering that continues to kind of polish human beings, like polish me, like things that I think of in my own life that are difficult. and challenge you and keep you aware of your humanness, but also help you wake up and help you in your spiritual practice. Yeah. It kind of polishes you. Yeah, the life does that. And practice does that. And yeah, the second one is definitely more personal. He's talking about social situations and shrines of freedom much more. And there's lots of different perspectives with which to interpret both of these.

[32:39]

But yeah, it's a kind of personal feeling when the deal goes down. I like the line, in this earthly domain full of disappointment and pain, you'll never see me frown. I owe my heart to you. And that saying is true. And I'll be with you when the deal goes down. Yeah, it could be, you know, like a love song to a particular person, you know. But there's something about it that, to me, reminded me of Kanzeon responding. Yes, oh. I appreciate the idea of a song written from the perspective of a bodhisattva to take kind of the artistic opportunity to see things from that perspective. And it brings the bodhisattva down in a way.

[33:42]

It's such an elevated figure that you can't access that point of view at some level. to write something or compose something from that point of view, it's accessible. Yeah. Yeah, and for us, I mean, Dylan himself has some awareness of Buddhism, but he also was Christian and Jewish. But to look at it that way, for us, gives us a sense of what it really means to try and follow this practice and take on doing bodhisattva work. And it's not just some philosophy. It's like, what does it mean to live in a way that's vulnerable and trying to be helpful to the people around us, to the world around us?

[34:44]

Yeah. Dave. Flashing for the Warriors against Trinkets not to fight is really helpful for me. I really love that word, warrior, a lot. But it was kind of confusing to me because I loved it in the traditional way that a lot of The spiritual task is something that I aim for in my practice, and I feel like I can see that same sort of aspiration, that recognition, that dimension of the word warrior.

[35:46]

Thank you, yeah, the warriors whose strength is not to fight. Yeah, that's a great line. And yeah, there's talk of spiritual warriors and there's various Buddhist practices related to that. And there's a line from Sun Tzu, The Art of War, the great Chinese writer about war who said the greatest warriors don't need to fight, they avoid battle. They win without having to go to physically fight. So yeah, it's an old idea, but boy, we can sure use it now. So yeah, thank you. Any other comments or reflections? Any thoughts? through it and think through it through the lens of Dogen and the voice of the vows and the lotus sutra.

[37:03]

It gives it all a different way of doing it. And there are a bunch of lines in it that I would have heard very differently if I weren't thinking through it that way. So the one that strikes me is from The Chimes of Freedom. Yeah, and the faceless forms of no positions. Talking about emptiness in a way. Non-self. Yeah, yeah, yeah, great line. Well, yeah, I mean, there's definitely this Old Testament side to a lot of Dylan.

[38:14]

And you can see a New Testament side to when the deal goes down, too. I mean, it's possible to read Dylan in lots of different ways, which is why I think he's a great poet. But to me, this aspect of him is there. Yeah, there's definitely this Kanzeon way of looking at these poems and others. Yes, anyone else? Comments? Yes, Michael? I think I'm looking for ways to express myself.

[39:27]

Yeah, there are lots of phrases that, taken for granted situations, there's lots of phrases and chimes of freedom that are just, you know, can hit us in lots of ways. That can feel familiar to us. Yeah. and as far as these sessions are. Good, so thank you all for listening and considering. And again, this is, I was trying to reflect on, but reflecting on, you know, some of the complexities and subtleties of this Bodhisattva practice that, you know, that comes from our engagement and sitting and facing ourselves and facing the world.

[41:00]

How do we respond? So, we'll close with our own chimes of freedom.

[41:06]

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