the great deceased of Shakyamuni Buddha. Somewhere around 2,500 years ago, this happened. Sometimes called Parinirvana, which is a term meaning something like extinction. But every Buddhist school has a little different understanding of what nirvana means and what parinirvana means. Parinirvana is a term that's usually used to mean deceased, but it also has other connotations. has various meanings for different schools so you know the earlier schools some of them had two nirvanas one is nirvana with extinction and the other is nirvana extinction like as an unconditioned dharma and nirvana

[01:27]

well, as a condition while still in the world. But in the Zen school, nirvana is more equated with samsara, which is non-dual. If you say that nirvana is extinction, then it means that it has an opposite called non-extinction. So it sets up a duality which is not ultimately real.

[02:35]

So nirvana is freedom. Nirvana is equated with prajna. Prajna is wisdom. Wisdom is the basis of nirvana, and nirvana is the expression of prajna, or wisdom, which means freedom from greed, freedom from ill will, and freedom from delusion. So, in Buddha's great decease, What does that mean? Where did Buddha go and where did Buddha come from? So we say Buddha is the Tathagata, the thus-come-one or the thus-gone-one, which means that he didn't come and he didn't go.

[03:47]

In the relative sense, we speak of coming and going. we come from someplace and we're going someplace. But in the unconditioned sense or even in the conditioned sense there really is no coming or going and there really is no one who comes and no one who goes. So I'm going to read a little about Buddha's great decease in this book by Thich Nhat Hanh, the old Path, White Clouds, at the very end. It's about Buddha's life. He talks a little about his deceased, and he kind of uses Mahayana and Hinayana sources. But I think you will find this interesting.

[04:55]

um... I'm going to start here. He says, bhikkhus and bhikkhunis, these are his ordained disciples, men and women, bhikkhus and bhikkhunis, all dharmas are impermanent. They are born and they die. They arise and dissolve. Make great efforts to attain liberation. In three months, the Tathagata will pass away."

[06:05]

So that was like his prediction. 1,500 monks and nuns silently listened to the Buddha and absorbed his direct teaching. They understood this would be their last chance to see and hear the Buddha give a Dharma talk. Knowing that the Buddha would pass away soon, everyone felt anguish. The next morning, the Buddha went into Vesali to beg, and then he ate in the forest. Afterwards, he and several bhikkhus departed from Vesali. Looking back at the city with the eyes of an elephant queen, the Buddha said to Venerable Ananda, you know, Ananda is his cousin, Ananda, Vesali is so beautiful. This is the last time the Tathagata will look upon it. The Buddha then turned around. Looking straight ahead, he said, let us head towards Bandhagama. That afternoon, the Buddha offered Dharma teaching to 300 bhikkhus in Bandhagama about precepts, concentration, understanding, and liberation.

[07:16]

After several days of rest there, the Buddha proceeded on to Matigama. Ambagama, and Jambugama. He instructed the bhikkhus in all these places. They next traveled to Boganagara, where the Buddha rested in Anapana temple. Many bhikkhus in the region came to receive his teaching. He told the bhikkhus how necessary it was to verify the teachings for themselves. Whenever someone speaks about the teaching, even if he claims that it comes directly from recognized authorities, do not be hasty to accept his words as the Tathagata's authentic teaching. Compare what he says to the sutras and precepts. If it contradicts the sutras and precepts, discard what he says. But if his words are in accord with the sutras and precepts, accept and practice what he says. The Buddha went on to Pava, where he rested in the mango grove that belonged to a lay disciple named Kunda, a blacksmith's son.

[08:26]

Kunda invited the Buddha and the nearly 300 bhikkhus traveling with him to take a meal in his home. Kunda's wife and friends served all the bhikkhus while Kunda personally served the Buddha a special dish that he had prepared. It was a dish of mushrooms picked from a sandalwood tree and was called Sukara Madhava. When he had finished eating, the Buddha told Kunda, Dear Kunda, please bury whatever remains of the mushrooms and do not allow anyone else to eat them. Well, there are several versions of this story. One is that it was pork. And so there's somewhere between pork and mushrooms, which is maybe truffles. Well, I think, you know, the basic story is pork.

[09:37]

But those many bhikkhus don't like to say that Buddha ate pork. So it became mushrooms. But, you know, mushrooms that grow on trees, to my understanding, all the mushrooms that grow on trees are okay to eat. So this may be an exception, because it was picked from a sandalwood tree. Anyway, I don't want to dwell on that, I just thought it was interesting. When he had finished eating, the Buddha told Kunda, Dear Kunda, please bury whatever remains of the mushrooms and do not allow anyone else to eat them. When everyone was finished eating, the Buddha gave a dharma talk. Then he and the bhikkhus rested in the mango grove. That night, the Buddha was seized with violent stomach cramps. He was unable to sleep all night.

[10:38]

In the morning, he took to the road with the bhikkhus and headed toward Kushinara. All along the way, his stomach cramps worsened until he was forced to stop and rest beneath a tree. Venerable Ananda folded the Buddha's extra sangati, that's his robe, and placed it beneath the tree for the Buddha to rest upon. The Buddha asked Ananda to fetch some water for him to ease his thirst. Ananda said, Lord, the stream here is filled with muddy water because a caravan of cattle carts recently passed by. Please wait until we reach Kakuta. The water there will be clear and sweet. I would fetch you water there for both washing and drinking. But the Buddha said, Ananda, I'm too thirsty. Please get me some water here. Ananda did as he was told, and to his surprise, when he scooped up the muddy water into a jug, it turned perfectly clear. Maybe so. I don't like to depend on miracles for religion.

[11:47]

I think the use of miracles in religion demeans religion, because it means that You have to depend on something out of the ordinary. And when you depend on something out of the ordinary, it makes the ordinary... diminishes the ordinary. Anyway, this is the story. So after he drank the water, the Buddha lay down to rest. Venerables Anuruddha and Ananda sat close by. The other bhikkhus sat in a circle around the Buddha. At that very moment, a man from Kushinara happened to walk by. And when he saw the Buddha and the bhikkhus, he bowed down and he introduced himself as Pukusa, a member of the Mala clan. He had once been a disciple of Master Alara Kalama, the same teacher that the young Siddhartha had studied with.

[12:50]

That was Buddha when he was younger. Pukusa had heard a great deal about the Buddha. He bowed again and then offered the Buddha two new robes. The Buddha accepted one and then asked Pukusa to offer the other robe to Venerable Ananda. Pukusa asked to be accepted as a disciple. The Buddha spoke to him of the teaching and gave him the refuges. Overjoyed, Pukusa thanked the Buddha and then took his leave. The Buddha's robe was travel worn and stained and so Ananda helped him change into the new robe. Then the Buddha stood up and together with the Bhikkhus continued to walk toward Kushinara. When they reached the banks of the Kakuta River, the Buddha bathed and drank more water. Then he headed for a nearby mango grove. He asked Bhikkhu Kundaka to fold his extra robe and place it on the ground for him to lie upon. The Buddha called venerable Ananda and said, Ananda, the meal we ate at lay disciple Akunda's home was the Tathagata's last meal.

[13:56]

People may accuse Kunda of serving me an unworthy meal, so I want you to tell him that the two meals I treasure the most in my life were the one I ate just before attaining the way, when some nice girl gave him some milk to drink, and my last meal before passing into nirvana. He should feel nothing but happiness for having served me one of those meals." After resting a while, a short while, the Buddha stood up and said, Ananda, let us cross the Hiranavati River and enter the forest of Sal trees, which belongs to the Mala people. That forest at the entrance of Kushinara is most beautiful. It was dusk by the time the Buddha and the bhikkhus reached the forest of salt trees. The Buddha asked Ananda to prepare a place between two salt trees for him to lie down.

[14:59]

The Buddha lay on his side, his head facing north. All the bhikkhus sat facing around him. They knew that the Buddha would pass into nirvana that same night. That's what this picture on the altar is about, with the Buddha laying down. The Buddha looked up at the trees and said, Ananda, look. It is not yet spring, but the salt trees are covered with red blossoms. Do you see the petals falling on the Tathagata's robes and the robes of all the bhikkhus? This forest is truly beautiful. Do you see the western horizon all aglow from the setting sun? Do you hear the gentle breeze rustling in the salt branches? The Tathagata finds all these things lovely and touching. Bhikkhus, if you want to please me, if you want to express your respect and gratitude to the Tathagata, there is only one way, and that is by living the teaching. The evening was warm and Venerable Upavana stood over the Buddha to fan him, but the Buddha asked him not to.

[16:01]

Perhaps the Buddha did not want his splendid view of the setting sun obstructed. The Buddha asked Venerable Aniruddha, I do not see Ananda. Where is he?" Another bhikkhu spoke up. I saw Brother Ananda standing behind some trees, weeping. He was saying to himself, I have not yet attained my spiritual goal and now my teacher is dying. Who has ever cared more deeply for me than my teacher? The Buddha asked the bhikkhu to summon Ananda. The Buddha tried to comfort Ananda. He said, don't be so sad, Ananda. The Dattagatha has often reminded you that all dharmas are impermanent. With birth, there is death. With arising, there is dissolving. With coming together, there is separation. How can there be birth without death? How can there be arising without dissolving? How can there be coming together without separation?

[17:03]

Ananda, you have cared for me with all your heart for many years. You have devoted all your efforts to helping me and I am most grateful to you. Your merit is great, Ananda, but you can go even further. If you just make just a little more effort, you can overcome birth and death. You can attain freedom and transcend every sorrow. I know you can do that, and that is what would make me most happy. Turning to the other bhikkhus, the Buddha said, no one has been as good an attendant as Ananda. Other attendants in the past sometimes dropped my robe or bowl to the ground, but never Ananda. He was taking care of all my needs from the tiniest detail to the largest tasks. Ananda always knew where and when I always knew when and where a bhikkhu, bhikkhuni, lay disciple, king, official or protectioner from a different religious sect should meet with me. He arranged all meetings most effectively and intelligently.

[18:06]

The Tathagata believes that no enlightened master in the past or future could have an attendant more talented and devoted than Ananda. Venerable Ananda wiped his tears and said, Lord, please don't pass away from here. Don't pass away here. Kushinara is just a small town of mud dwellings. There are so many more worthy places like Sampa, Rajagriha, Savati, Sakata, Kosambi, or Varanasi. Please, Lord, select such a place to pass away so that more people will have a chance to see your face one last time." The Buddha replied, "'Ananda, Kushinara is also important, even if it is no more than a small town of mud dwellings. The Tathagata finds this forest most agreeable. Ananda, do you see the salt flowers falling about me? The Buddha asked Ananda to go into Kushanara and announce to the malas that the Buddha would pass into nirvana in the grove of salt trees at the night's last watch.

[19:13]

When the Mala people heard this news, they hastily made their way to the forest. An ascetic named Subbada was among them. While the people took turns bowing to the Buddha, Subbada asked Venerable Ananda if he could have an audience with the Buddha. Ananda refused, saying the Buddha was too tired to receive anyone. But the Buddha overheard their conversation and said, Ananda, let Ascetic Subbata speak with me. The Tathagata will receive him. Ascetic Subbata knelt before the Buddha. He had long felt drawn to the Buddha's teaching, but had never met him before. He bowed and said, Lord, I have heard about spiritual teachers, leaders such as Purana Kasapa, Makali Gosala, Ajita Kesakambalan, Akuta Kachayana, Sanjaya Balatiputta, and Nigata Nataputta. I would like to ask it, according to you, if any, according to you, if any of them attained true enlightenment.

[20:19]

The Buddha answered, Subhadra, whether or not they attained enlightenment is not necessary, and not a necessary thing to discuss now. Subbata, the Tathagata will show you the path by which you yourself can attain enlightenment. The Buddha spoke to Subbata about the Noble Eightfold Path. He concluded by saying, Subbata, wherever the Noble Eightfold Path is truly practiced, you will find people who have attained enlightenment. Subbata, if you follow this path, you too can attain enlightenment. Ascetic Subbada felt his heart suddenly opened. He was filled with great happiness. He asked the Buddha to accept him as a bhikkhu. The Buddha asked the venerable Anuruddha to perform the ordination ceremony right then and there. Subbada was the last disciple received by the Buddha. After Subbata's head was shaved, he received the precepts and was given a robe and bowl. The Buddha then looked at the bhikkhus sitting around him.

[21:23]

Many bhikkhus from the vicinity had arrived and so there were now nearly 500. The Buddha spoke to them. Bhikkhus, if you have any doubts or perplexity concerning the teaching, now is the time to ask the Tathagata about it. Don't let this opportunity pass by so that later you will reproach yourselves, saying, that day I was face to face with the Buddha, but I did not ask him. The Buddha repeated these words three times, but no Buddha spoke. Venerable Ananda exclaimed, Lord, it is truly wonderful. I have faith in the community of bhikkhus. I have faith in the Sangha. Everyone has clearly understood your teaching. No one has any doubts or perplexity about your teaching and the path to realize it." The Buddha said, Ananda, you speak from faith while the Tathagata has direct knowledge. The Tathagata knows that all the bhikkhus here possess deep faith in the three gems, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha. Even the lowest attainment among these bhikkhus is that of stream enterer.

[22:27]

The Buddha looked quietly over the community and then said, Bhikkhus, listen to what the Tathagata now says. Dharmas are impermanent. If there is birth, there is death. Be diligent in your efforts to attain liberation. The Buddha closed his eyes. He had spoken his last words. The earth shook. Saw blossoms fell like rain. Everyone felt their minds and bodies tremble. They knew the Buddha had passed into nirvana. The Buddha had passed away. Some bhikkhus threw up their arms and flung themselves on the ground. They wailed, The Buddha has passed away. The Lord has died. The eyes of the world are no more. Who can we take refuge in now? While these bhikkhus cried and thrashed about, other bhikkhus sat silently, observing their breath and contemplating the things the Buddha had taught them. Venerable Aniruddha spoke up.

[23:30]

Brothers, do not cry so pitifully. The Lord Buddha taught us that with birth, there is death. With arising, there is dissolving. With coming together, there is separation. If you understand and follow the Buddha's teaching, you will cease to make such a disturbance. Please sit up again and follow your breathing. We will remain silent. Maintain silence. Everyone returned to his place and followed venerable Aniruddha's counsel. I would say everyone returned to their place and followed venerable Aniruddha's counsel. He led them in reciting sutras they all knew by heart. Sutras they all knew by heart, which spoke about impermanence, emptiness, self, non-attachment and liberation. Calm dignity was restored. The mala's lit torches, sounds of chanting echoed impressively in the dark night as everyone placed their full awareness on the words of the sutras.

[24:38]

After a lengthy recitation, Venerable Aniruddha gave a dharma talk. He praised the Buddha's attainments. his wisdom, compassion, virtue, concentration, joy, and equanimity. When Venerable Aniruddha finished speaking, Venerable Ananda recounted beautiful episodes from the Buddha's life. Throughout the night, the two Venerables took turns speaking. The 500 bhikkhus and 300 lay disciples listened quietly. As torches burned down, new ones were lit to take their place until dawn. last day. So, you know, what is the meaning of free from birth and death?

[25:44]

This is actually the meaning of why we practice. So Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha gave us many teachings, the Eightfold Path, the Precepts. You know, we say there are three, three natures of Buddha, the three bodies of Buddha, the Dharmakaya, the Sambhogakaya and the Nirmanakaya.

[26:57]

Dharmakaya is our nature, our Buddha, our nature is Buddha, our Buddha nature, the source, the basic vitality, or the basic spark or life but actually none of those terms really adequately describe dharmakaya which is not describable but it includes everything so each thing, each entity, each dharma is an expression of dharmakaya. That expression is called nirmanakaya, our embodiment, the embodiment of our nature as a human being.

[28:08]

So, you know, in some lofty way, nirmanakaya means Shakyamuni Buddha. as a person, but each one of us is Shakyamuni Buddha. In the old meal chant, the original meal chant, we used to say the innumerable Shakyamuni Buddhas all over the world, which means the Sangha. And sambhogakaya, body, is the body of wisdom. Prajna, Nirvana, our wisdom body. When we embody Prajna, then we are Sambhogakaya. And that embodiment of wisdom as Sambhogakaya is not attached to birth, not attached to death.

[29:22]

When we say, where does the Tathagata arise from and where does the Tathagata go? If we look at our true nature, our true Dharmakaya nature, there's nothing that exists independently. All things arise from causes and conditions. When the causes and conditions are favorable in some way, the person arises. When the causes and conditions are no longer working together, the person ceases. But that doesn't mean that life itself is gone.

[30:26]

That's why it's important to make a distinction, I believe, between birth and death and life and death. Life includes birth and death. So birth is the coming and death is the going. But life itself doesn't go or come anywhere. So in the matrix or the foundation of life itself, there's birth and there's death. But everything returns to life. You can't kill life. The first precept is don't kill. Don't take life. You can't take life. You can't kill life. Suzuki Roshi used to say, even if you chop the earwig into 10 pieces, you still don't kill it.

[31:33]

You can stop the birth process, but you can't stop life. He also said, Don't worry, you'll always find yourself someplace in the universe, in some form or another. I remember when Suzuki Roshi died, actually, during our Sashin, during Rohatsu Sashin, 1971. Just before, actually just during the first period of Vajra, in his room, and then when it became clear that that happened and there was nothing to do but sit zazen, nothing to do but continue sasheen, he kind of planted himself into sasheen and his spirit just pervaded the whole seven days and I just felt that you could just feel his

[32:51]

true body pervading the whole building. Not something mystical, but in a sense of miraculous, just simply real. Nirvana, parinirvana, just letting go of the obstacles, the obstacle of desire, the obstacle of the limitations imposed by our dualistic thinking and our dualistic grasping. These are all obstacles. We live in a world of obstacles. Our life is actually an obstacle course. But the obstacles are not out there. It seems like the obstacles are out there, but there's really nothing that's an obstacle.

[33:58]

The obstacles are all here. If we realize it. When we can see clearly, see things as they are or see things as it is, we always see things in a distorted way, mostly. Our mind creates images of reality and then we live through those images rather than actually living directly, touching reality directly. We live in a kind of veiled way. And then we're surprised when something out of the ordinary happens.

[35:01]

Out of the ordinary means out of our ordinary imagination, out of the realm of what we can imagine. That's out of the ordinary. So we create our world through images, second hand, third hand, ideas and live through those ideas and fantasies and rarely touch reality. So Buddha is trying to tell us something. Just really look at the reality of the mind. What is consciousness? What is self? Who is born and who dies?

[36:11]

And where do things come from and where do they go? So in the history of Buddhism, there have been many schools and controversies that have developed over these questions. But in our Zen practice, we can cut through a lot just sitting, letting go of discriminative thinking, So it's also important to understand our momentary existence.

[37:32]

Breathing in and breathing out. Being born and letting go. Taking up and letting go. This is a kind of rhythm. The rhythm of our breath is the rhythm of our life. is the rhythm of birthing and dying. Inhaling is coming to birth. Exhaling is letting go. So to be able to go with the exhale. To let go of all of our fears and apprehensions with the exhale. This is why concentration on breathing is so important.

[38:39]

The truth lies in our breath. In that simple stroke of inhaling and exhaling. and just letting go of our discriminative thinking, leaving it all to the breath. Bye.

[39:47]

So we can look on as the bhikkhus around Buddha had different responses, different reactions, very interesting. Some bhikkhus were tearing their hair out and crying and lamenting and so sorrowful. Other bhikkhus were simply sitting and with a settled mind. So we can criticize both of them. why aren't they being a little more, you know, why aren't those austere bhikkhus being a little more sympathetic, you know, to their, and the others, or why aren't they being a little more backbone, you know, or understanding, so we can criticize. So, middle way, you know, when Buddha dies, you should cry, and then sit up straight.

[41:48]

and go on. Because within death is birth. Within birth is death. So, although we think we've lost something, nothing is lost. There is some feeling of loss. There's always a feeling of loss. There's joy also. Joy and sorrow are a mixed bag. So to have the sorrow and to have the joy, but not to have the attachment to either one. is to allow life to live itself through us without hindrance.

[42:59]

And we also have this fear, you know, that we each have a date with death. Is that good or bad? That everything changes. Is that good or bad? That nothing lasts. Is that good or bad? Is that right or wrong? Is the universe chipping us? This is what we have to deal with. How do we see everything as being just the right thing? Just as it is. It's okay. Right.

[44:07]

Right. But, right also means wrong. So, better not to say anything.

[44:16]

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