Good morning and welcome everyone. I want to talk this morning about zazen, this upright sitting practice we've just been doing. And I want to use a few short talks about Zazen from Dogen, the 13th century monk who brought this practice from China to Japan and founded what we now call Soto Zen. And I want to talk about a couple of Well, I want to use a few of his very short talks from Dogen's extensive record that I translated with Shohaku Okamura, including a couple that were given on this date, or roughly on this date. the first day of the tenth month, although in the lunar calendar, the ninth month, because it's about a month behind, how we count the months.

[01:13]

But I want to start with one that was given in spring. This is from 1243, when he was still in Kyoto, before he moved north to the mountainous, snowy north shore of Japan and founded his monastery, Eheji. So speaking in springtime, he said, these days are a good time for zazen. And they are. These days are a good time for zazen. If you pass this time vainly, how can you have full strength? If you have no strength, how can you fully engage and affirm the way? Borrowing energy from this time, we can easily cultivate the way.

[02:15]

Now the spring winds are a whirlwind and the spring rains have continued for many days. Even this smelly skin bag born from our father and mother cherishes this time. How could the bones, flesh, and marrow correctly transmitted by Buddha ancestors despise it? Those who despise it truly are beasts. After a pause, Dogen said, in spring beyond our own efforts, a withered tree returns to life in flowers. For nine years unknown by people, how many times did he cross the desert? So the nine years refers to Bodhidharma, who came from India to China and founded what we now call Chan or Zen. There's an image of him from the temple he taught at later on our altar, but now we're in autumn. Still, I think borrowing energy from this time, we can easily cultivate the way.

[03:22]

How do we find our energy? This is the question that Dogen asks us about in terms of our zazen. How do we find our energy? Maybe in some ways it's easier in the spring, but I think autumn has its own way of allowing us energy. Part of this practice, sitting upright, paying attention, relaxing and settling into what is our experience here this morning on our seat. How do we find our strength? How do we fully engage and affirm the way? And Dogen says, in the springtime of 1243, borrowing energy from this time, we can easily cultivate the way. How do we borrow energy from this time? Even this time, with all of the difficulties in our world?

[04:27]

How do we take care of our energy? How do we find the energy to take care of our life, to take care of our world? How could the bones, flesh, and marrow correctly transmitted by Buddha ancestors despise even this smelly skin bag? Even, he's talking about the spring rains. So the season is changing here too, and with the climate breaking down, we don't know how the season is changing exactly, but we can feel something. In spring, withered trees return to life and flower. Here, the trees are starting to turn. Maybe not yet. we can see.

[05:28]

So Bodhidharma sat in a cave in Shaolin Monastery for nine years after crossing the desert. And Dogen says, how many times did he cross the desert during those nine years? So each period of zazen, how do we see our own deserts, our own crossing, our own struggles with finding our energy. How do we fully engage and affirm the way? How do we find our own strength and our own way of expressing our life in this time? How do we use this time? Whatever time you are in, in your life, whatever situation life has brought you to, how do you use that to find your energy?

[06:42]

So when we stop and sit and face the wall, face our life, face the world, It's not that we have to figure something out, but we see our life and the world and this time in a different way than we do when we're busy trying to take care of the things of the world. So Dogen says, these days are a good time for zazen. How can we feel that? It's a good time for zazen. Whatever's going on, whatever difficulties we are seeing in the world, whatever difficulties we're facing in our life, it's a good time for zazen.

[07:50]

It's a good time to look and see. How do we respond? How do we take care of our life? How do we find our energy? And he's talking here in spring, where there is energy arising in everything. But in autumn, there's energy shifting. There's something else happening. So I want to read a couple of talks he did in autumn. And these are later in the autumn of his career. So the next one is from 1251. So he died, Dogen died in 1253, and 1252 was the last full year of his teaching. This one... The one after this is from the following year, right on the first day of the ninth month.

[08:51]

Now again, this is the lunar calendar, so it roughly corresponds to the first day of our tenth month in the solar calendar, but that was a day in the monastic calendar where they revived, where they brought out the cushions and had a more rigorous schedule of zazen. So they had a kind of relaxed schedule in the summer. So this was a time for revitalizing zazen practice. So in 1251, Number 449 of these short talks in Dogen's extensive record, the previous one was number 124 for those who want to look later. But in this short talk, Dogen says, what is called zazen, which means literally sitting meditation, what is called zazen is to sit, cutting through the smoke and clouds without seeking merit.

[09:52]

Just become unified. never reaching the end. In dropping off body and mind, what are the body and limbs? How can it be transmitted from within the bones and marrow? Already such, how can we penetrate it? Snatching Gautama's hands and legs, one punch knocks over empty space. Karmic consciousness is boundless without roots. The grasses shoot up and bring forth the wind of the Buddha way. So he says, what is called zazen is to sit cutting through the smoke and clouds without seeking merit. So as we sit, you know, and this was during autumn, but any time as we sit, any good time for zazen, smoke and clouds arise. Thoughts and feelings are there. We see our own haziness.

[10:55]

And part of Zazen is to cut through that, just to be present, just to cut through all the smoke and clouds. It doesn't mean that you should try and prevent any smoke and clouds from arising, but cut through. Come back to sitting upright. Inhaling again, exhaling, facing the wall, feeling our uprightness, without seeking merit. This isn't about, you know, it's not that you're going to get something from this, exactly. Of course, you know, there's a benefit of doing this practice, but if you're seeking, you know, some special, you know, prize for being a good Zazen student or whatever, that's not it. cut through the smoke and clouds, not trying to get anything, just cut through, be present, sit here.

[11:58]

Then he says, just become unified, never reaching the end. Just that sentence is enough. Just become unified, never reaching the end. What I like personally about Sasana is this feeling of wholeness. Just become unified. Just sitting, being present, being upright, on your seat. There's this becoming. There's this unification. There's this wholeness, this oneness. Whatever, whatever problems you have, whatever ancient twisted karma we each have, whatever difficulties our world faces, and it sure does. Each of us sitting on our seat, just become unified, never reaching the end. It's not about getting to some end point.

[13:00]

It's not about some outcome or goal. Just this process, this vital process on the path of going beyond Buddha, Dogen says somewhere. else. Just become unified, never reaching the end. Then he says, in dropping off body and mind, what are the body and limbs? So dropping off body and mind is a phrase that Dogen uses for Zazen much more often than he uses the phrase just sitting. Dropping off body and mind. This is cutting through the smokes and clouds. Dropping off body and mind is awakening, is zazen. It doesn't mean getting rid of our body and mind. It doesn't mean eliminating your capacity for conceptual thought or anything like that. Just drop off body and mind. Let go. Whatever idea you have about yourself, about this body, this mind,

[14:03]

Open up to something more. What are the body and limbs? What are the limits that you have imposed on who you think you are? in dropping off body and mind, what are the body and limbs? How can it be transmitted from within the bones and marrow? So again, he's talking about the bones and marrow. This is about getting down to the, what's fundamental? What's really important? Already such, how can we penetrate it? So already, this is how we are, but how can we deepen it? How can we extend it? Then this kind of sort of macho tone of traditional Zen, snatching Gotama, Shakyamuni Buddha's hands and legs, one punch knocks over empty space.

[15:17]

So, you know, maybe all we are, all that is, is empty space. Just cut through again. One punch knocks over empty space. Karmic consciousness. All of our efforts, all of our striving, all of the causes and conditions that brought us here. It's boundless without roots. It's endless. All of the causes and conditions, all of the innumerable beings that are part of what is on your seat right now. Boundless, without roots. But the grasses shoot up and bring forth the wind of the Buddha way. So new shoots arise, even in autumn when he's talking. New possibilities arise. We're alive. We're alive. Just become unified, never reaching the end.

[16:27]

So dropping off body and mind means letting go of who you think you are and what you think the world is. Just become unified. How do we then respond? How do we then take care of our life and the world? So this is at the time of renewing Zazen, around this time of year. The following year, in 1252, he gave another talk on this date. And this was the last year of his teaching. He didn't know that, of course. But he said, this morning is the first day of the ninth month. This is number 523. And again, the lunar calendar, it's about a month or less behind our current calendar. With the striking of the wooden sounding block, which Stephen did this morning outside, the members of the great household do zazen.

[17:38]

So here we are, the great household. Never lower your head and sleep, Dogen says. So we can relax and settle, but pay attention. Thinking of sameness is seeing the coming of wisdom or thinking of equality. Thinking of how we are all here the same. Thinking of how all beings are the same. You know, everyone can do Zazen, regardless of, you know, what country they're from or male or female or what, you know, ethnicity or, you know, everyone. When Dogen came back from China and was asked what he brought, he said, eyes horizontal, nose vertical. Here we are.

[18:38]

So he says, thinking of sameness is seeing the coming of wisdom. Wisdom or insight in Buddhism means seeing, sometimes you could say emptiness, or seeing the oneness, the connectedness of all beings. Then Dogen says in this talk, number 523, stop discussions based on grasping at trees and relying on grasses, which is a funny phrase. It refers to grasping at external irrelevant. Well, it refers to intellectual understandings. It's also kind of a technical. phrase used sometimes in Zen for grabbing at tree spirits or ghosts.

[19:44]

So anyway, he says, or just phantom thoughts, stop discussions based on grasping at trees and relying on grasses. Do not seek externally for the lotus that blooms in the last month of the year. As we sit in the mud of our life, a lotus blooms. Body and mind that has dropped off is steadfast and immovable. So again, this letting go, this radical letting go of our ideas about ourself and life. And then he has this funny, wonderful sentence. Although the sitting cushions are old, they show new impressions. At this very time, how is it? So some of these sitting cushions have been here a while, but when you sit on them, you make new impressions. Some of you have been sitting doing this zazen for a while, but each time, new possibilities may arise in your sitting.

[20:54]

Although the sitting cushions are old, they show new impressions. Each period of zazen is different, you know. I mean, sometimes we get into a period where it feels stale or, you know, we feel like we're on a plateau in our practice. It feels old. So for people who are relatively new to the practice, you may not, maybe you can't imagine that, but it happens. But actually, each, A period of zazen is unique. Each inhale and exhale is unique. Even though we have thoughts and feelings that we can recognize as habitual and reactive and, you know, oh no, here I am again, but each time is fresh. We can actually experience our life as fresh, as new impressions. And then he says, at this very time, how is it?

[22:01]

After a pause, Dogen said, it is not that there is no practice realization, but who could defile it? How could this be the same as the as the advanced stages of bodhisattva development. It is not that there is no practice realization, but who could defile it? This goes back to a story that Dogen refers to a lot. This is about the student of the great sixth ancestor who came, and the sixth ancestor, his name was Nanyue, and the sixth ancestor's name was Huineng. He, in some ways, is the founder, six generations after Bodhidharma, of Chan, of Zen in China. And this new student came, and Hui Neng said to him, what is this that thus comes?

[23:05]

Very funny way of saying, who are you? What is this that thus comes? You might consider that. What is this that thus comes?" When you have some new impression in Zazen, what is this that thus comes? And Nanua didn't know what to say or what to think. Maybe I should just stop there, but actually the story goes on that he was He was speechless, and the story goes that he went back and sat in the meditation hall like an iron pole for eight years. Eight years later, he came back to Hainan and said, now I can say something about that question you asked me. You said, what is this that thus comes? Now I can say, anything I would say would miss the mark.

[24:12]

It took him eight years to come up with that. And so Huineng said, well, then is there practice realization or not? And Nanyue said, it's not that there's no practice realization, it's just that it can't be defiled. And Huineng said, oh yeah, that's what all the Buddhist ancestors take care of. I am thus and you are thus too. So there's no practice realization, but who could defile it, Dogen says here. So you may not feel that, as Dogen said in the previous one, just become unified, never reaching the end. You may not feel unified. You may not feel like you can even do this practice, but you can't defile it either. This practice realization is, ongoingly there's new impressions.

[25:16]

So I was thinking of doing one more of these, but maybe I should just stop with that. Okay, I'll do one more. This isn't directly about Zazen, but it is. This is about the courage of Zen practitioners. And this one, I kind of have to think about how to translate it to modern times. This one was in 1247, so a little while after, and this was in spring too, but this was a little while after Dogen moved his whole community away from the suburbs of Kyoto to the far north, way, way up in the mountains. He said, the courage of a fisherman is to enter the water without avoiding deep sea dragons. The courage of a hunter is to travel the earth without avoiding tigers.

[26:21]

The courage of a general is to face the drawn sword before him and see death as just like life. What is the courage of patch road monks? Or we could say, what is the courage of Zen practitioners? So those examples he gives are kind of anachronistic because we don't believe in deep sea dragons anymore. I don't know. Maybe here people do. We believe in lake dragons, deep lake dragons. The courage of a hunter is to travel the earth without avoiding tigers. Well, tigers are almost extinct. We've managed to take care of those. The courage of a general is to face the drawn sword before him. Now we have soldiers facing landmines and machine guns and anyway. To see death is just like life. Maybe that's still relevant. Maybe we have to think of the courage of a first responder going down to Puerto Rico to bring food.

[27:26]

Anyway, he says, what is the courage of a Zen practitioner? After a pause, Dogen said, spread out your bedding and sleep. So in the monasteries there, they slept in the monk's hall. So like we have, during all day sittings here, we eat at our place. We have lunch in the meditation home. But there they also, traditionally, and still in Japan, they sleep at the place where they sit in monastic practice. Spread out your bedding and sleep. Set out your bowls and eat rice. Exhale through your nostrils. Radiate light from your eyes." So this is his response to what is the courage of a Zen practitioner. Do you know there is something that goes beyond? With vitality, eat lots of rice and then use the toilet.

[28:33]

Transcend your personal prediction of future Buddhahood from Gautama. So that last line, so he's talking about just do everyday stuff. That's the courage of a Zen practitioner. Face your life today. Take on this life, this day. Sometimes that takes a lot of courage. How do we find our energy? this day. But then he says, transcend your personal prediction of future Buddhahood from Gautama. This goes back to something in the Lotus Sutra, the most important sutra for Dogen, where he goes through, in the first half, he goes through and talks to various different groups of his disciples and tells them how they're going to be, in the distant future, will be Buddhas, and he gives them particular Sometimes he tells them the particular name of the Buddha they'll be in the particular Buddha field and so forth.

[29:38]

So, and then eventually in the Lotus Sutra it says that everybody there is going to be a Buddha in the future. So, since you're here, all of you are predicted by the Lotus Sutra to be Buddhists in the distant future. Okay? But what Dogen is saying is, get over it. Transcend your personal prediction of future Buddhahood. Forget about that. So fine, you're going to be a Buddha in the future. What are you going to do today? So this is the Zazen teaching that we did. How do you take care of today? How do you take care of your life? This is what he says to the courage of Zen practitioners. Don't worry about something, about becoming a Buddha in the future. How will you see that these days are a good time for Zazen?

[30:42]

How will you just become unified, never reaching the end, dropping off body and mind? cutting through smoke and clouds without seeking merit, just be right here. Although your sitting may feel old, the sitting cushions show new impressions. So, any comments or questions or responses about Zazen and today?

[31:45]

Yes, Asian. It's all good to talk about going out into the wilderness and not being afraid of tigers. But try sitting Zazen. I hesitate to mention this, but I will. Matt, as I was doing walking meditation, I saw one of those multi-legged long bugs walking through here, and it went right on the other side of that wooden box. I could have reached over and killed it. I thought about grabbing one of those cards and trying to catch it, but I didn't think I was skillful enough to do it in the time remaining. I didn't kill it. So if it comes near Matt, I don't know what you'll do. It came over from Brandon's pile.

[32:58]

Did you kill it, Brandon? The little insect that came around. Oh yeah, yeah. Did you eat it? I can't hear anything, but it reminded me of a story that Ramana Maharaj told to his devotees. He said that there was an Indian soldier who went to the jungle, and he had a musket. Yeah. So yeah, maybe surrender to Zazen. So please love the mosquito.

[34:04]

And I don't know where that bug is now. OK. OK. Maybe somebody will, during temple cleaning, will find him and take him outside. We'll see. Other comments or responses? Yes? What does it mean to defile? I don't remember the phrase. Practice realization cannot be defiled. So what is practice realization and what would it mean to defile? Practice realization is the oneness of practice and realization. So we think in the usual way of thinking about anything. We think that we do something in order to get something later. This is our usual way of thinking in the world.

[35:06]

So we think that we do zazen to get something later. And that's what Dogen is saying. Forget about that. Don't seek merit. Just sit. But we think we can defile it. We think that if you each think of the worst thing you ever did in your life, you think that, oh, no, I'm not worthy. We think that we're, you know, we each can think, well maybe, I won't speak for everyone. Some of you might think that something you did in, I know I can think of lots of things like that. Something I did in the past makes me, you know, I'm not qualified to realize practice or to practice realization. We think that. We think we can defile it.

[36:09]

And these ancestors are saying it can't be defiled. They're not saying that it's pure and perfect either. They're saying it's just this. And it's not that it's endless shoots. It's alive. So what is our life? It changes. We see new shoots arise. So we make mistakes. But we realize also how to be helpful to ourselves and to others and how we're connected. But we do think that we can defile things. So we shouldn't do that. think we can. But practice realization can't be defiled.

[37:09]

That's what they're saying. Yes, Paula. If we think as practice as a means to realization, isn't that defilement? Yeah. If we think that we're just, you know, that this is just some technique to become a Buddha in the future, then we're missing the point. And, you know, I kind of trust Zazen. I kind of think if somebody, you know, so we have two people who are here for Zazen instruction this morning, who are doing this kind of meditation for the first time. And if you think that, and it's possible to think that kind of thought, but I trust that just doing the sitting regularly which I recommend to do this several times a week or more, just stopping and sitting, facing the world, facing ourselves, facing the wall, that that kind of idea of getting something from what we're doing, it's so deeply ingrained in our culture

[38:30]

You know, if you work hard, you'll get ahead, you know. So, of course, we have that idea. But Zazen kind of helps us dissolve that. Yes? Yeah. Yeah. That's one way of, that's one way of understanding that. Yes, definitely. So, um, I mean, this is the, here we are. Yeah. That's what they're going to say. Here we are today. Now, conventionally, provisionally, we can talk about the past and the future, but we're talking about it now.

[39:32]

So I am going to make some announcements about things that are going to happen later in the month. So you might note that in your conventional time frame. Yeah, and we can still come back. later with Mind and Body Dropped Off, which is now. Any other comments or questions or responses? Thank you. Yes. No, one more question. Sure, I often do that myself. Yeah, Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma is, you know, so she's a terrible disappointment and that's a very long discussion and the Buddhist Peace Fellowship Chicago chapter that meets here, we've been very involved with Burma and there's

[41:14]

We've been involved in writing letters and, you know, it's terrible. So not all Buddhists are perfect, obviously. And yeah, it's a terrible thing. And so some of us were at demonstrations last week on behalf of the Rohingya people. And another thing is just well, you know, it's a I'm not going to begin to defend anything that that government Yeah, so to to not hold on to some view of any particular group as being the right group, so to be aware of

[42:30]

all groups as, you know, Buddhism isn't necessarily perfect and there are many different branches of Buddhism and to tolerate and to appreciate all different groups and to not, to appreciate all groups, to, We have Muslims in our Sangha. We have Christians even in our Sangha. We even have some Buddhists in our Sangha. And yeah, it's totally an abomination, in my opinion. So to speak out on behalf of, against oppression by anyone. Yeah.

[43:37]

Thank you for mentioning it and giving me the opportunity to say that.

[43:40]

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