And now to taste the truth of the totality of the world. Good evening. You may notice a few missing faces here this evening. Some of the people in the practice period who will be receiving precepts on Sunday are finishing sewing the rakasu just now. And until a few minutes ago, I was over there with them. This is not unusual. And every year we say, now we're going to start soon enough and we're not going to do this again. But every year the activity of sewing the rakasu expands to fill the time available until moments before the ceremony.

[01:01]

Maybe Paul and I are not tough enough and we don't tell people, if you don't get it finished the week before, you can't do it this time. But we haven't ever been that tough. It hasn't happened. So we've been talking because we are having a jukai on Sunday. This practice period we've been talking about entering the Buddha way. And there's something now in my heart I want to say about this. I would like to apologize to people in this sangha who are affected by the fact that we scheduled the jukai on the day of the gay pride parade. And I deeply regret that and we'll try to be more aware. We will be more aware next year.

[02:06]

This has been a source of some pain for some people in the sangha. So we have been discussing entering the Buddha way and we've been discussing it looking at the ceremony which we're going to do on Sunday. First repentance or a vow or taking responsibility for all of our actions of body, speech and mind. And in that process, renewing our vow to be more alert and awake as we enter into our everyday life so that we can express fully our true nature.

[03:14]

In our actions of body, speech and mind. Which is after all what the precepts are about and what the receiving and giving of precepts is about is giving some particularity to how we express our fundamental nature. Moment to moment in our interactions with one another and in every aspect of our daily life. So we begin with repentance

[04:18]

and then we invoke the presence of all the Buddhas and ancestors to come and be with us and join us for the ceremony of the giving and receiving of the Buddha's precepts. And then we purify the space with wisdom water as we've purified our mind with repentance. And then we take refuge in the triple treasure of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

[05:27]

We affirm our... We dive in, actually. As we sew this Buddha robe, this raksu, we chant with each stitch the Japanese version of taking refuge. Namu kiei butsu. And the kiei means to plunge into without reservation. So this taking refuge, the literal meaning is to plunge into the Buddha, our own true nature, the Dharma, which is the truth of all existence, and the Sangha, which is the harmony of all beings. So we throw ourselves wholeheartedly, without reservation, into this triple treasure of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

[06:35]

And then we take the three pure precepts of which Paul spoke last week, which are vowing to make... vowing to refrain from harmful action, vowing to make every effort to live in awakening, vowing to do what is good and vowing to live for the benefit of all beings, recognizing that all beings is not different than ourself. And then we have ten... what are called the ten grave precepts, sometimes the ten specific precepts.

[07:41]

The ten precepts which have been given to us as sort of guideposts to actions which we notice cause particular suffering. That's why they're called grave. They cause particular deep suffering. So these precepts are to call our attention to specific actions that we want to be very aware about. We want to take up the practice of avoiding killing, to take up the practice of not lying, to take up the practice of not misusing sexuality, to take up the practice of...

[08:42]

I put lying in... anyhow, got them in wrong order. To take up the practice of not intoxicating mind or body of self or others, to take up the practice of not slandering, to take up the practice of not praising self at the expense of others, or sometimes that's translated not putting yourself up by putting other people down, to take up the practice of not being greedy or not being stingy, to take up the practice of not harbouring ill will, and to take up the practice of not ignoring the three treasures of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. So you might think that the precepts is something to... some rules out here to study and bear in mind.

[09:48]

But I think it's important for us to explore, examine, investigate. What is the source of these precepts? Where do they come from? What is the origin of them? And we explore that in our practice of Zazen. This is what Hiroshi said, only after you have begun our true practice in the Zendo will that practice be extended into your daily life. And the extending of Zazen into our daily life is what precepts is. And how we investigate the source of precepts is in Zazen. As we become more aware of, in tune with, alert to

[10:55]

our innermost request in Zazen, we will find that the precepts are simply a way that we try to say how it is we want to live. How it is from our own inner awareness of actions and their consequences, from our own inner awareness of what creates suffering, and our own vow to end suffering, we find these precepts grow and flower out of that vow. That vow to end suffering. So in Fukun Zazengi, Togon Senji is speaking of our Zazen,

[11:59]

and he says, the Zazen I speak of is not learning meditation, it is the Dharma gate of repose and bliss, the practice realization of totally culminated enlightenment. Once its heart is grasped, you are like the dragon when he gains the water, like the tiger when she enters the mountain. For you must know that just there in Zazen, the right Dharma is manifesting itself. Just there in Zazen, the right Dharma is manifesting itself. So our Zazen is the basis of our vow,

[13:03]

is the basis of our precepts, is the source of living our life according to our innermost request, according to our deepest intention, according to our actual fundamental being. This Zazen, in this Zazen, the right Dharma is manifesting itself. And as we settle on ourselves in Zazen, our life force blooms in accord with the precepts. And as we get too busy and too separated from ourselves

[14:05]

in rushing about, we lose track of this heal, this guidance, this innermost request, which brings the precepts to life in our daily life. last year we had a precept class and we studied precepts together, and some of the people wrote down some of their thinking on the precepts, and I'd like to share with you what a couple of them said. I think the words of the precepts are like the breath, a guide for our focus.

[15:07]

They are as light as the breath, and as soft as the rising and falling of the belly, and as constant. The strength of words is in their flexible nature. The meanings blend with the times and form gentle guidance for our ethical sensibilities. We can hear their song in each day of our life when we listen. The precepts are to savor in conversations with ourselves and our friends. They are not like a stone in the sand, not like stone bridges, but more like reeds, firm in their yielding, a way to make a life among others. So in our zazen, we keep coming back to ourselves,

[16:32]

to our true being, to become more and more intimate with how do I want to live this life? And to bring into each activity, each moment, to always have that question, is this how I want to live? Is this how I want to live? Is this the most important thing? To keep returning and returning and returning, having that be always present. This life, you know, we live one moment at a time. This moment is our life. So in this moment, to be awake and aware of how we are creating our life

[17:37]

with this action of body, speech and mind, with this action of body, speech and mind. Dogen Senji says, Now all ancestors and all Buddhas who uphold Buddhadharma have made it the true path of enlightenment to sit upright, practicing in the midst of self-fulfilling samadhi. Those who attained enlightenment in India and China followed this way. It was done so because teachers and disciples personally transmitted this excellent method as the essence of the teaching. From the first time you meet a teacher,

[18:41]

without engaging in any other activity, you should just wholeheartedly sit and thus drop away body and mind. So this wholehearted sitting is following the precepts. And these precepts come alive in our life through wholehearted sitting. Suzuki Roshi says, You should know how to apply our practice in our everyday life. The most important thing is to be completely involved in what you are doing

[19:45]

and not to do something just as a means of joining something. You should not do things... You should do things as a practice, as you practice Zazen. You should do everything as a practice, as you practice Zazen. In Zazen, just to practice Zazen is the purpose of practice. You practice Zazen for the sake of Zazen. So if you do everything as you do Zazen, then each thing you do, you do for the sake of doing it and not for the sake of some result. This is carrying Zazen into every activity. And when you can do every activity that way, you can be awake and notice whether your activity is in tune with your innermost request,

[20:54]

whether it's in tune with how you want to live your life. When you can bring Zazen into your everyday life in that way, the precepts will keep themselves. Silence. If you are in tune or in touch with your belly, as you go through the activities of your life,

[21:55]

if you notice some hesitation, pay attention, before you plunge into an activity. If you notice, even though you don't know why, you're feeling, maybe I shouldn't do that, listen, pay attention, honor your inner feeling about how this action fits your innermost request. In this way, you will bring your actions more in line with your intention, and you will find that you will be following the precepts. One of the people in the class last year wrote a little poem with each of the ten specific precepts, and I'll share them with you. I take up the way of not killing.

[23:04]

Treasuring my life, I treasure all lives. Plant and bird and rock, their lives. Woman, child and man, their lives. Air and song and sky and sea, their lives. Spirit in us all, our lives. I take up the way of not stealing. Born naked, everything that's come, a gift. I look deep, try, discerning what life's marked for me, and take it only, only if it's marked for me. I take up the way of not misusing sex. Passion's voice, love note,

[24:06]

bells of sweet chemistry closeness, let my song be clear, direct and true, like wind. I take up the way of not speaking falsely. Words that move with the light, these are the words I seek. I take up the way of not intoxicating body and mind. Incensed breath drifts up and out of sight. May this moment be enough, just as it is. I take up the way of not slandering. All word that clarifies, brings ease, spreads balm,

[25:14]

wakes up in each moment, which is that word. I take up the way of not praising myself at the expense of others. Looking out, a hand rises in the mist. A fine hand. Is it my hand? I take up the way of not being possessive of anything. Born naked, all that's come, a gift. I honor nakedness, hold on to nothing. I take up the way of not harboring ill will.

[26:19]

Miracle bubble, essence rising slow or fast, life's pulse, love, breath, a rock being rock, here it is in each moment, in each being. Let me find it, let me find it. I take up the way of not abusing the three treasures. Morning is light. One day it's pale enough to be ignored. Another day it's brighter than sleepy souls can absorb. Pale or bright, it always comes. Now I've seen the dawn, I'll never unknow it.

[27:30]

An awakening every morning. When you sit with these precepts, what do you find within you? When you hear these precepts, what is your response? What is your heart's innermost request for how to live this precious life that we have been given?

[28:34]

You must know that just there inside the cause and the right Dharma is manifesting itself. And from the beginning, dullness and distraction are struck aside. So, please find your response to these precepts of the Bodhisattva. How will they come to life in your life? How will you manifest your true nature? Moment after moment.

[29:53]

Please join us Sunday, if you can, for this ceremony. Those of you who have received the precepts are invited to renew your vows at the time of the ceremony. Thank you. And please, find in yourself your deepest request of how to live. Thank you.

[31:22]

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