Good morning, everyone. Yes, happy to meet you. It's an interesting time, a time of transition. And. We are a customer of New Year's resolutions. Well, those are akin to, can be akin to our practice of vow, bodhisattva vow. So I want to talk about, first about the four bodhisattva vows, which we chant at the end of all of our events. And talk about the meaning of that. And actually talk about the wording of that, which has been somewhat controversial. So I'm going to start by chanting the four bodhisattva vows in Sino-Japanese.

[01:06]

So the last character of each of those four vows presents us an opportunity for consideration. So, we've been chanting, beings are numberless, we vow to free them. Some places say we vow to save them. David Weiner brought this up this week and felt, he felt like this was a little condescending, like we know how to free all of the beings. The last character, do, which you could chant as free or save, literally is to carry a cross. It's the same character for the paramitas, which we talk about, the six or ten paramitas. So it needs to carry a cross, but it's not, the feeling of bodhisattva vows is not, I'm going to take care of all of you.

[02:37]

This is, this is the feeling that David had to be objected to. We practice together. So we do this together. We are present with a witness to all the beings, all the difficult different beings, including those beings within ourselves. So to carry a cross means, there's a common metaphor of the raft to carry to the other shore. So in early Buddhism, it's meant from our place of samsara, of the rat race, of the difficulties of the world to the other shore of nirvana. And so this is a very dualistic way of thinking about it.

[03:39]

And this is part of David's objection. But in bodhisattva work, in our tradition, we don't see nirvana as separate from samsara. We practice in the world. So this is an important point. So in terms of translating it, I'm okay with keeping the translation of the music, I vow to free them. But just that we should understand that that is all inclusive. Beings are numberless. We vow to free them. It's not beings out there. It's not about separation. It's all the beings that came up in your shazam on your seat, as well as all the beings in the square and on the various places.

[04:41]

See, Nathan's here from Michigan. Other people, other people from different places. Exactly. So that's the first one. We vow to carry all of ourselves across to awaken the liberation. The second one is the most problematic, in my opinion. And I actually want to ask, I mean, you know, Jerry and I don't want David to help change the text in our chat books and online and wherever we have it. Usually we've been chanting delusions are inexhaustible. We vow to end them. So delusions could be delusions or afflictions are inexhaustible.

[05:49]

Yes, they are. But our practice is not to destroy them. It's not about getting rid of all delusions, and then we will have something else called awakening, liberation. That's not our practice. So. My teacher translation. Translates it as we vow to cut through. And I want to adopt that as the ancient dragons and get translation for the second one. Done means to decline, to refuse. It could be translated as. But that's not our practice. We don't destroy our delusions. We sit upright in the middle of our own and the world's delusions. And we all know there are plenty of those. So.

[06:50]

Yeah, so. To not be caught by them. That's a good translation. Interpretation. We don't get rid of delusions. I think this is a proper delusion to think, oh, I need to get rid of all of my afflictions. Then I'd be enlightened or awakened. But actually, a practice is to be right in the middle of the world, right in the middle of Samsara, including each of us, our own. Intrinsic trauma. So she was sitting here recently talking about trauma and how we all have chronic trauma. And more or less. And what's and what's it's not. Some of those things do drop away. That happens in long term sustains as our practice. It happens. But sometimes it happens. But that's not the point.

[07:53]

The point is to be clear and open. And upright in the middle of all of these. Sections. That we share. And a part of. As well. So, again. See, there's not this is something that has to be done. You know, this week, but to try and change all the textbooks and all the places where that appears on our website to. We've got to cut through. Is there a. Oh, my God. Donna, please. We've got to enter that. The last character also literally needs study. So, we've got to study the gates. That's a study. And I'll talk about. So, it's about this house.

[08:55]

But this, this is 1 of the. But that. We've got to, I think, in terms of the language, we've got to enter that. Okay. That means to look at that to study to be present. And everything. All of. Situations that arise in our world and our lives. Individually collectively. Everything is everything is an opportunity to. See what's happening and enter into that as. As teaching as liberation. So. I'm going to say that. There were Donald Gates.

[09:58]

Or Alice. And without to. Without study. And study. Doesn't mean just listening to. Dialogues. It means really. How do we. How do we feel? How do we not try? Use the. The practice as a way of avoiding. How we feel. It's actually what we feel. So, I haven't talked about this in a while, I think, but. This mantra. How does it feel? This is. Tension. Tightness.

[10:59]

Shoulders. How do you send that? How do you feel what you feel? And it's just the odds. That to all of the situations in our lives. The world. How do you feel? So, this is studying. Physically. All of these. All of these opportunities for. Then the last one is. Joe. With a ray is. Joe. We vow. Without to realize it. I think. We vow to become a. The last character. To accomplish it. How do we perform? How do we enact? How do we express the Buddha way? This is.

[12:02]

The way. So, we celebrate the way of awakening. We dedicate ourselves to the way. So. 1 of my. Is to. Talk about these. As. As we enter into the opportunity. You can talk. About them. Saying every day is a new day. You can say every day is a new year. But our culture. Marks this. January 1st. It's trying to 23. And I understand that. Officially. And. A few weeks. The rabbit. So.

[13:08]

The rabbit. Which is wonderful. Talk about. My own vow. So, we don't do these. Just individually. So, that means that we practice together. And now we have this wonderful. They can spread. And so. Are in the area. Get up here for 1 of our Sunday morning. It's really lovely. This is a really wonderful spaces. And. I think. Previous. So, thank you. That's a very. But it is. This is smaller than. We went to that.

[14:12]

And. It's. Park. So, we did a month ago. We did 1st, all day sitting here. And really. For all day sitting the maximum that we can fit in. That feels. It's. It's. For Sunday morning. More. So, it's. It's a wonderful. Millie. But we're still working on. And. 1 of my house is. To find a space. That we can. Use to have a long time. Full time. So, we're working. And.

[15:14]

And. Board committee. It's. What happened this year. A couple of months. A couple of years and we're fortunate to have this. But. It's. But. To find. Space for this 1 minute. Thanks to. Joining us online. Other people as well. So. So, that's part of my personal. Now. Process. And personally, I have another. Now. Talk about these.

[16:18]

So, as I said, the year of the rabbit. It's supposed to be a year of peace. So. We can't end wars with more wars. More weapons. More weapons will not and the water. So much and, of course, there are many wars all around the world. So. We can't just declare. Although, you know, John, when I tried to do. So, it takes a lot of work, but. Just to say a little bit about it today, and I want to. Talk about this more at times during the year. So, just some numbers over half of the. 850 million dollars. So, it's directly to make the general dynamics.

[17:23]

Mark. Another. Let's make this. The Pentagon sends to Congress to wish lists. Congress usually adds to issues. This is a bipartisan more government. This costs us 54 dollars, 54 billion dollars. Of the 7 trillion dollars that's gone directly for taxpayers. And, of course, that's money that does not go into education. Healthcare housing. All of the real needs of people. So. I feel there's many other things to talk about.

[18:27]

The chance of the troubles of the world, but to. Connect to trying to support peace. Finally. I want to close by talking about. Some special set of 10. So, the particular archetypal great. A number of them have their own. So, I'm going to talk about. Sets of mouse. Or. Discussed. But some of them have. Some of the budget. He is. The. The. The. Friday evening. Friday evening. 7 o'clock. It's a great.

[19:30]

Page. Join us. You don't have to. Or you can just listen. But. Universal. It's particularly. Now, for the 710. So, a little bit. Talk about. But. These 10 vows are. To venerate. Really appreciate. To praise. The 3rd is to keep offerings. We do this here. All centers. Right here. Offers.

[20:35]

Flowers. Sometimes. To. Not just to. The. The. The. In our. In. Our practice. There are great. All over. The tip of every blade of grass. Every. This. Describes. Some of these. Very flowery. Psychedelic. It's not. We feel. All of these. So, we.

[21:38]

So, the 3rd. Is to. The 4th is to confess our past. So, confessional. Maybe. Western culture, the context. But the question is also part of our practice. Repentance. So, we do this together. At the beginning of service. Oh, my. From the beginning was. Born through body, speech, and mind. So, it doesn't mean. Yes. I have this difficult.

[22:39]

On the product. The trauma of being a human being. In the 21st century. And of course, this goes back. So. That's the 4th. Universal. This is really important. We may feel like, oh, and something could happen to somebody else. How come it didn't happen to me? How come I didn't get it? That's the kind of. So. Yeah. I think we'd say. Oh, this is wonderful. Look at all these people. Here in our.

[23:42]

Joining us. Who are. Able to practice the way it's wonderful. Congratulations everybody. So, we rejoice in the happiness of others. The 6th one is. There's a couple that go together. We, we request to teach. And then the next 1 is the question is not to. Enter Nevada, not to check out and to. That's your tire from teaching. Say here in this world of. Being lost and suffering. Enjoy sometimes, but yeah. So, to want to budget now is to request to teach. And to not to check out.

[24:44]

Literal immune cessation. Never being reborn into. And, you know, we can see that allegorically. For people. Practicing session or practicing practicing. And that's a practice periods. One can. Come settle into some model into. Communion with the ultimate as a kind of escape. Psychological charges as a spiritual bypass. We, uh, we don't. We ask who is not to, and we don't use. And I would say, use the practice to. Avoid basic. Delusions of his illusions of the word, so that's. That's the 6th and 7th and Samantha. And that next is to study the dharma.

[25:53]

In order to teach it. So, this may include this kind of study may include. You know, reading. Wonderful old. Scriptures scriptures of the Buddha. Right before I want to make sure that it's. It's. And then use that to share those so. To teach, but just to share those. All beings in our lives. So, again, these. These are relevant to. Resolutions. The 9th and the 10th. In some ways, I think the most important thing is to benefit all. So, how do we live our lives? Do what we do. In the spirit of benefiting all beings that includes ourselves. It includes ourselves.

[26:54]

But it's not about separation. We don't benefit all beings. Certain lessons. Russians or. All the days, except Republicans or Democrats. That work now. So, do you care about anything? All these, not even just human beings. How do we take care of the trees? And the lakes. So. Service. All of these stats are huge. People sometimes object to the board except the best because they seem impossible. Sometimes called inconceivable. Beings are numberless. How do we do that? This. Under the underpinning of the practice.

[27:56]

And it's not that. You know. Something I'm going to do in the next week is going to release all the. People. All the people that suffered from massive frustration. Normally. All the political positions. All the beings, you know, whatever. I mean. So, we are mindful of. But we benefit all beings. And then part of how we do that. Is the 10th balance among the budget. Which is to transfer the merit of our practice. This is part of our. Official Mitchell liturgy. So, I think. I think. Today is final dedication. That we.

[28:59]

Share. This can be a problem. But. The energy. In Asian cultures. It is very important. They have this belief that conviction. It's not part of our culture so much that, for example. Making donations to. Practitioners. Benefit to itself. So. The practice of learning about giving. Giving and receiving. To go around. Just be available to receive. Whatever else. Back to spirit. Years ago. Twice a month to. Sometimes to the large town.

[30:03]

Sometimes to the big city. Did this practice of walking. Just chanting. To. And people are very happy to. Excellent. Because. Because of this. To transfer the merit. It's kind of a serious, but it means that. Through our practice, whether you are here in Lincoln Square or. So. On the Zoom page, our practice here today. Brings us energy. Brings us. Good vibes, whatever. And we share that. We transfer that. We transfer that to. All beings and sometimes to specific things. So, anyway, that's just a little more. In the context of.

[31:04]

So. So the point is that. In our culture, these New Year's resolutions. You know, we can, we can have personal resolutions. You know, to lose weight or to get more exercise or to. Go to more movies or go to less movies or whatever. But. Part of this idea. The solution and part of the spirit of. Hey, this is a new year. It's not tomorrow. It's not yesterday. It's today. January 1st, 2023. Is that we can. You know, this transition and resolve to. Help. Help fellow practitioners. Whether or not they're Buddhists or Muslims. Or Christians or whatever.

[32:05]

To help all beings. So, this particular gathering. Impression here online, but it also means. All the people that you come in contact with during the week. Friends, family, neighbors, coworkers. Are part of your. So, how do we share with them? This energy. Are. Taking on a practice of. Brightness. For the world and for ourselves and attention. And attention. So. This is a time for. Also. We survived. Wow. And I trust we will survive. So.

[33:09]

We will. Do our best to make 2020 a good year. So. Maybe that's as much to say. Need to say right now. Does anybody else. That's so often to celebrate. A new year with some comment or question about. These. It's practice involves resolutions. It's part of our Buddhist African tradition. So, David, you can call on people. Online. So, please. Online, you can either raise your hand like this, or use the raise hand function.

[34:12]

And if you're here, and we can square, you could just go ahead and start talking because we might not be able to see you. Okay. Does anybody have any commentaries on comments or responses about. All the time. But not the list. Solutions. Yes. I think I have offended people regarding these 4 vows. Because I love them. But I also think they're extremely funny. And when I get to laugh about.

[35:13]

That and other things that say. To say that they're funny doesn't mean. That they're not serious, or that they're not. Yeah. They're not serious. And. Especially the 1. The 2nd, 1 that says delusions. Are inexhaustible. I vow to end them. It is. An extremely personal statement. Yes. And. I think, well, personally, 1 of the delusions. That I. I'm trying not to him. Is that the interpersonal mistakes that I make. That I started making when I was 12 years old.

[36:14]

And really began to try to change. And then found myself making this same mistake. A month ago, when I should have known better. No, excuse me. I need to interrupt you because forgive me. Sure, but we're not chanting it that way anymore. That that 2nd. For the 2nd, the delusions are inexhaustible. I vow to cut through. Yeah, I think it is a little funny to try and say, oh, right. I want to end. It's actually unhelpful. It's not about ending 1. it's about. Well, it was just a cut through not being caught by them. Doesn't mean getting rid of that. And I think if you think that's what it means, it is pretty funny. I mean, they're all funny and they're all inconceivable is the technical term. That's used there beyond our usual conceptualization. But it's not about ending all delusions.

[37:17]

As I was saying, this is really important. This is really central to our practice. We. Appreciate that we study. We see that they are dominants. We. We can laugh at them. Or we can cry at them. And some, some of them to. Just drop away and some of them will be. With you for the next 10 lifetimes. 100, whatever it's, it's not about. Russian delusions, so that's funny in a bad way. It means it's about actually. Feeling what we feel and seeing who we are. And not being caught by that. Not cutting through cutting through these solutions, not to get rid of them, but to be able to.

[38:19]

Enter into. To. To help all beings and so forth. So, I'm sorry to interrupt, but please. Well, I guess what I wanted to. Explain is. How I have been amused, I've always been amused by them. But still recite them and really. Appreciate them. But there's that residual. Impossibility that makes them. Yeah, and it's, it's. I wouldn't say impossible because. Maybe we can enter all the dharma gates.

[39:26]

Maybe we can. Realize that. Has someone's. Become a little bit away. But, um, yeah, I, I, I heard you chanting. So I know you do. Anyway, other comments on that or anything else. See, Brian Sanders. Thank you. And 1st of all, Happy New Year. Everyone and. So grateful for this song and really for all. Who are carrying on this wonderful tradition. In the bodhisattva vows that you mentioned, the phrase cut through reminds me. I think of a very helpful way. To think of this. Additionally, there's there's different ways you can approach.

[40:27]

Translation of these terms and I love that. The Tibetan tradition, 1 of the deepest or the. Deepest traditions called suction. And 1 of their primary practices is called trek show, which means cutting through. And there's a guy. Who's quite famous. Keith. Written a number of books of translations. And the sense of cutting through that he points out is, is kind of like a bundle of sticks. That becomes unbundled and I might be. Not I might be paraphrasing that not getting it exactly. But the cutting through, I think. Can point to our practice of. Letting go or not grasping with the mind. So it could be informed by, for example. The wisdom of the non duality or the emptiness of things where.

[41:32]

You're not ending the delusion, but you're realizing that the delusion, like all things are empty of inherent existence and. That allows you to ungrasp. On to, you know, to to let go of that delusion, you know, just let it. I guess, let it be and not to cling to it. Which is kind of points us directly back to the Zazen practice of non thinking of just. You know, being in that in the middle of things. And letting things come and go. I don't know. Thank you. Yes, thank you. Yes. It's one of Keith's books. Yes. And so is very, very similar to Zazen in a lot of ways. So, yes. To cut through. I'm looking, you know, if anybody has a suggestion for a better translation and cut through. I think it means not to be caught by Professor Walker.

[42:35]

Another phrase is release. So maybe we vowed to release them or or not cling. I mean, it's translation is difficult to find the exact right term, I guess. Yes, part of the issue is that all these Chinese characters have many layers of meaning. So this is part of this is how translation is. Imperfect art, but release doesn't feel right to me either, because that has that could be interpreted as getting rid of. You know, and it's not about getting rid of our delusions. It's about seeing how right through our delusions. We can awaken. All of these delusions, afflictions, difficulties are opportunities, dominates to see through and awaken. Okay, well, I'll think about that. So Jerry and David, hold off on changing the text.

[43:40]

What did you say? What's that? What did you say? She said to see through them. That's not bad. I don't think it's about us. Now, delusions, afflictions, delusions are exhaustible. Now we say we vow to end them. We've got to cut through. We've had to see through them. I'll think about that. Anybody who has references can express that. Or other other options. Other comments about the 427 vows or anything else? Yes, please. When you explain, Jan was talking about the impossibility of the vows, what popped in my head was the song from, you know, Man of La Mancha, The Impossible Dream. Can you hear her on Zoom?

[44:41]

Yes, okay. And Cervantes' Don Quixote. And I was thinking about delusions. And the interesting thing about that book was that some of the delusions that Don Quixote had became real. I mean, this vision of Dulcinea liberating her to be somebody else and a new person. And I was thinking about the vision of peace. I mean, maybe some people say it's deluded to think that we could be at peace. And anyhow, that's sort of where my mind was going. And it's obviously about maybe the difference between delusion and imagination.

[45:44]

Yes, yes. So definitely, we should not end imagination. Our practice depends on imagination. We visualize or we appreciate or we hear about who is and what is not this and imagine what that is. And we imagine ourselves as awakened at the same time that we see how deluded we are. And we're not separate. We're not separate. So this is tricky. This is not a license to indulge in delusions. But this is about really awakening to one another, awakening in our delusions. Awakening and delusion, delusional enlightenment are not separate. So I've often mentioned, paraphrase Joe Ben who says that deluded people have delusions about enlightenment.

[46:51]

Deluded people are enlightened about their delusions. So feel what you feel. See what you see. Study what you study. Don't be caught by delusion or enlightenment. Any other comments, questions, responses? New years? I don't mind that speaking if somebody else wants to, but I really have had on my mind a story that if you watch Democracy Now! you would have heard it this week, I think. I believe that Ruby Sales died. She was 81. And there was a story about her. She was in the movement, in the anti-racist movement, but she was kind of a soldier and not a leader.

[47:56]

But at one point she was with a group that was confronted by a racist person who had a gun and he pointed it right at her companion that she was with. And he said something like, I'm going to blast you right to hell. And her companion said, tonight, hell will be integrated. Ruby Sales and I were so impressed with that kind of ability to process the fact that somebody's pointing a loaded gun at you. And process what that person said. And, of course, it was pointed out to me later on. He didn't say this, but the implication was that hell right now doesn't have any black people in it.

[48:57]

That was the implication I missed that because I was so impressed by the man's courage. But I really wanted, I know some of you will have already heard this story, but I really wanted to make sure that we all heard that. Thank you. Other comments, David? No, I'm just holding the camera. I'm being intentional. Thank you. Just speak in your version. I was thinking, I don't know, you know, about suffering. And, you know, obviously it's essential, it feels like to our practice to pay attention to suffering. I feel like, you know, at least in my, like, work, sometimes it feels easier in some ways to tell the story of someone suffering than, not the opposite, but to capture the whole dynamic of a person rather than sort of only focus on the stories of trauma or suffering.

[50:14]

Obviously, it's very important to pay attention, to tell those stories, etc. But I feel like sometimes that can, like, essentialize a person kind of down to only their suffering. So I'm wondering, you know, maybe this turns out to be my vow is to see, with so much emphasis on suffering, it can be a challenge to pay attention to the whole sort of dynamic kind of being. And, you know, tell stories of a person's joys and happinesses and successes, etc., right? Yes, that's one of Samantha's vows. So, I don't know, I don't know if I have a question exactly as much as, like, I kind of acknowledge that challenge and to maybe work with that a little bit more. Yes, so that's a great meaningless resolution.

[51:14]

So let's enjoy all the things that there are to be enjoyed. Let's rejoice. Rejoice more. We do need to pay attention to suffering, that's an important part of our practice. And it's an equally important part of our practice to enjoy and appreciate and share and work with things. Thank you. Just so many different thoughts coming up on what Bosia said. Being in sales, it's often said to be something good for somebody, they'll tell four people. If you do something bad, they'll tell 11 people. Bad news travels fast. And I don't know if it's part of our fighting, you know, our limbic brain, you know, wanting to survive.

[52:17]

And all we see in the world is, you know, to protect ourselves, protect our being. But it's just, we're talking about imagination, I was just thinking of John Lennon's song, Imagine. If we could just, you know, not be at war with ourselves and not be at war with others, just imagine a world of peace. How much, you know, that would really help us. All of us in our own being, in our own daily lives. And I don't know if you're like, I'm going on. No, that's not the point. So the point is to appreciate one another and learn how to appreciate one another. Thank you. Through all our faults. Cool, thank you.

[53:18]

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