I vow to face the truth that love is not just words. Good morning. Good morning. This morning we just to the Bodhisattva ceremony, Yakufusats, meaning short ceremony for acknowledging our karma and re-establishing ourselves with our intentions. And next week, next Sunday, we have a, not tomorrow, but next week, it's ordination, lay ordination ceremony.

[01:09]

So it's appropriate to talk about precepts after bodhisattva ceremony. And it's also good to talk about precepts before ordination ceremony. Ordination ceremony is a precept ceremony. So both of these events are coming together to say, you should talk about precepts. So this morning, the subject of my talk will be precepts. We have 16 precepts. that's more Japanese custom starting with Saicho very early on in Japanese Buddhism and seems to have been the way that most Japanese Buddhists recognize precepts rather than 250

[02:21]

precepts for men and 350 for women in the traditional Buddhism. There's 16. It's narrowed down to 16 precepts. Something manageable. Almost. Precepts are not completely doable. Precepts are something that is more than we can actually manage. So there's always something a little more than we can accomplish. But precepts are a guideline for behavior, and we make a good effort to follow precepts. But on the surface, precepts look pretty simple, but there are many layers of meaning in precepts.

[03:32]

And when we study precepts, we have to take into account various levels of understanding. So the first three precepts are the precepts of refuge, taking refuge in Buddha, taking refuge in Dharma, and taking refuge in Sangha. And then there are the three pure precepts, which is not to refrain from evil, to do what is good and to live for the benefit of beings.

[04:39]

And then there are the ten so-called prohibitory precepts, sometimes called grave precepts, sometimes called one-mind precepts, sometimes sometimes called clear mind presets. Clear mind. So usually the ten presets are expressed in the negative. Don't kill, don't steal, don't, don't, don't, don't. But there's also a positive side, which is do this, do this, do this. So I'm going to talk about both sides and also talk about the refuges and pure precepts.

[05:53]

We say, take refuge. That's a kind of translation. I don't know if there is an appropriate translation But refuge is like returning to Buddha or returning to Dharma, returning to Sangha. In other words, it's, you know, we've become extended. Our life is to become extended. Each one of us is born from our mother and our life is extended into the world. And to take refuge, once we're out there in the world, there's no place to hide. And there's no place to... no way to defend ourselves. I mean, there are events that happen in this world, and we can defend ourselves against some of those events.

[07:02]

But as far as our life in the world goes, there's no place to hide. And there's no defense. Life is our life. And no matter where we try to hide, we're always where we are. So what do we mean by refuge? Some people think, well, if I take refuge in Buddha, good things will happen to me. And I won't be poor, and people won't come after me, because I'm very good at taking refuge in Buddha. But that won't happen. So what does it mean to take refuge in Buddha?

[08:10]

So one way of saying taking refuge is to return to Buddha. But Buddha is not some Buddha outside of ourself, not the great Buddha in the sky, but our own true self right here. I return to my own Buddha nature. After being extended out of the world, I come back to myself. I'm always coming back to myself. I'm always returning to my center, to where Buddha truly resides. And to return to dharma is to take refuge in dharma is to return to reality. Dharma means the true law, that which cannot be transgressed without pain and suffering.

[09:25]

So there are certain laws that are of the universe which we're not always aware of. And even though we're not aware of them, some way we are aware of them, but we forget. We're always forgetting. So to return to Dharma means to return to reality, to return to what's true. The truth within ourself. And to return to Sangha means to take refuge in Sangha, to return to Sangha. Each one of us feels individual and isolated and alone. So Sangha has several meanings. One meaning of Sangha is, you yourself are Sangha.

[10:30]

Another meaning is, all of your friends who you practice with are Sangha. And another meaning is everyone in the world is Sangha. And another meaning is all insentient beings, mountains, rivers, tiles and streams are Sangha. So to return to, to take refuge in Sangha means to return to your undivided Self. So Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, it's really all one thing. Just three aspects of Buddha. Three bodies of Buddha. So there really is only one precept. One precept is return to Buddha, or not just return to Buddha, but express yourself as Buddha.

[11:46]

So refuge seems to have the feeling of being comfortable or being withdrawn, but it also means to express yourself as Buddha, to come home, and then go out again. So we're always returning home and always extending ourself from our true place, our true home, which is not some fixed place. So our true home is right here. Don't we forget where we live. It's very easy to forget where we live. And we're always reminded where we live when we find ourselves with nothing. Or when we find ourselves abandoned. Then we say, where do I really live?

[12:53]

Where's my home? So, the first three precepts are the precepts of returning. All the other precepts are expressions of that, expressions of just be Buddha. So then the three pure precepts are about good and evil, or evil and good. Evil is a kind of funny word, and a lot of people say, well, there is no such thing as evil.

[13:55]

That's true. There is no such thing as evil. Evil has no real root. It's not that there's no such thing as evil. It's just that there is no root for evil. And that's why it's evil. But it doesn't mean that evil doesn't exist. There also is no good. Because good has no root. But yet there doesn't mean that there is no good. We live in the world of undulation. This is the realm of the undulating world, where there are satisfactory things and unsatisfactory things, like and dislike. And it's the world of motion.

[15:00]

In motion, comes out of stillness and returns to stillness. So, when we enter the world of motion or undulation, we enter the world of good and evil. Because as soon as we have motion, we have up and we have down, and we have right and we have left. And as soon as you have the realm of opposites, you have the realm of opposites which is caused by division and discriminating mind, we have good and evil. So even though there is no such thing ultimately as good and evil, conditionally there is good and evil. There's what we like and what we don't like. So we have to pay attention, because this is the realm where we live.

[16:08]

We live in a world of good and evil. But ultimately there is no good or bad, right or wrong. There's only just what is. So the first of the pure precepts is to refrain from all evil. Another way of saying it is to refrain from all actions that are rooted in ignorance, because ignorance is the foundation of evil. unwholesomeness. And then the second pure precept is to do all that is good.

[17:17]

So it's very dualistic. These two precepts are very dualistic because they're dealing with the dualistic realm. And they're very general. They're not specific. And the third is to live to benefit all beings, or to live and be lived for the benefit of all beings. To allow, not just to live for the benefit of all beings, but to allow life to flow, be lived, live and be lived. So while I am lived, but while I live, I'm also being lived by everything around me.

[18:18]

So if I say to live for, it's just coming from one view or one standpoint. But to live and be lived, is to recognize our interdependence, our interdependent nature. That I influence you, you influence me. I exist because of you, and you exist because of me, even though you may not see that. When we understand this interdependent nature, that's how we save all beings. So then, there are various ways of expressing these presets, and I don't think it's ever finished.

[19:27]

So we've gone through various translations of the presets and ways of expressing them. Somehow, I keep going back to the original way. A lot of people don't like the good and evil, but I think it's important because we have to understand the nature on various levels. to say that because there is no good or evil, if you just stick to that, it's a very arrogant standpoint. And one-sided.

[20:32]

It's falling into the delusion of emptiness. Emptiness expresses itself as good and evil, and good and evil expresses itself as emptiness. But if you only have one or the other, you fall into delusion. You fall into one side or the other, you fall into delusion. So the ten clear mind precepts, or grave precepts or prohibitory precepts are meant to pinpoint our behavior. So the first one is not to kill. And the positive side is to cherish all life.

[21:38]

That's one expression. don't kill, but cherish all life. And the second one is not to steal or not to take what is not given, but to honor the gift that is not yet given. And the third is to resolve not to misuse sexuality, but to remain faithful in relationships. And the fourth is not to lie, or to refrain from false speech and to communicate the truth. And the fifth one is not to sell or use wine or drugs. It's not to use the wine of delusion, but to polish clarity or clear mind.

[22:40]

And the sixth one is not to dwell on the mistakes of others, which means don't slander other people, but to create wisdom from ignorance. And the seventh is to resolve not to praise ourself and downgrade others, not to put ourself up by lowering others. but to maintain modesty and respect other people where they stand. And the eighth one is not to withhold spiritual or material things, but to share understanding and to freely give of ourself And the ninth one is not to harbor ill will, but to dwell in equanimity.

[23:47]

And the tenth one is not to abuse the three treasures, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, which was the beginning, which is my own true nature, by respecting the Buddha, unfolding the Dharma, and nourishing the Sangha. So those are the ten precepts. The first one's not killing, not taking life. The precepts, as I said before, are to be understood on various levels. First level is literal level.

[24:51]

Don't do this. Don't do that. Like you would say to your child. Don't do this. Don't do that. That's literal level. But that's the level in the undulating world. Don't kill. Don't take life. But the fact of the matter is that it's impossible to live without taking life. Every created being is an instrument of destruction. We look at our pretty cat, you know, When a pretty cat comes out into the backyard, she eats a bird, or she catches a mouse, and plays with it in a way that is very revolting to us.

[26:09]

And we ourselves are the greatest, human beings are the greatest instruments of destruction. The most saintly of us are instruments of destruction in the same way that the cat and the mouse. The mouse is also an instrument of destruction. Buddha called our life the law of the fishes. The big fish eat the little fish. So there's no way that we're not continually destroying life and transforming it. We're transformers, each one of us. So then we look at others and we say, well, you're killing and so forth, but we should also look at ourselves and say, I'm killing too.

[27:19]

So this life has at least two sides. There's really one side, but there are also many sides. If you look at a glass, a glass is round. It only has one side. But if you look through the glass, you see there's another side. And so there's the other side of the glass. So that's two sides. But really, when you look at the glass another way, there's only one side. So our life is like that. Our life is only one side. And at the same time, it's two sides, or more sides. So from one side, we can say, don't kill. Don't take life. From another side, you can't take life.

[28:28]

It's not possible to take life. And from another side, we're always taking life, continuously taking life, transforming life. So nature is the transformation of life into various forms. Some are being eaten, and others are being created. While something is being eaten, it's also being liberated and created. But it's painful. So we call it the realm of suffering. Very painful. We're being eaten by something all the time. And we're eating all the time. We look at an earthworm. eats its way through the world.

[29:30]

And it eats whatever is in front of it and then digests and leaves a trail behind. But this trail is most wonderful. It keeps renewing the earth. Without the earthworms eating the earth and leaving this trail, nothing grows. the earth will not be nourished. So it's a problem. It's puzzling. So precepts are in various levels. Don't kill. Well, don't kill means maybe Don't willfully do something. Don't kill without being conscious of how we kill. Without being conscious of how we take life.

[30:33]

So we try to take as little life as possible. Because we understand that all the created things want to live. Just like we do. So we identify with life. and realize that everything wants to live. So we take as little life as possible. And maybe we eat cabbages and potatoes. Cabbages and potatoes want to be cabbages, you know, and potatoes. That's what they want to do. You may think, what do they know? They're just cabbages and potatoes. Cabbages really want to live. I mean, if you plant a garden, you see how cabbages want to live, and lettuce, you know. Plant it at the right time of year, and give it a lot of water and nourishment, and it's uplifting.

[31:35]

It's very encouraging. Nature encourages us. But, at the same time, The forms of life come and go and are transformed. Transformed. And every stage is the right stage. Baby stage is the right stage. Adolescent stage is the right stage. Youthful stage is the right stage. Middle age, old age, and death are all the right stages. Everything is just right. Just the way it should be. We like it or we don't. That's entering the realm of good and evil. We like it or we don't.

[32:36]

We think it's good or we think it's bad. I'm not saying that there's no evil, because there is. levels of reality. So when we understand that life itself cannot, although the forms, the transforms, the forms which are being transformed will never last for one moment, for more than a moment, but life itself cannot be killed. the process of life itself cannot be killed. So in that sense, there's no killing, which doesn't mean that we shouldn't try as much as we can to honor life and to help life to live, help forms, to respect the forms of life and not be willful, willfully taking

[33:55]

That's why we say something at the beginning of a meal, in order to respect and acknowledge the forms of life that are being transformed by us. So we should be aware of our of our own killing, continually killing, taking life with mindfulness and understanding and respect. So precept, don't take life, means don't kill life. Don't kill life by making it an object. By objectifying, we kill life. By creating egocentric activity, we kill life.

[35:11]

By not taking care of the life that's around us with respect, we're killing life. So all of these precepts are on various levels. This may seem very simple, but life is complex. Suzuki Roshi used to say, our practice is not Zen practice may be difficult, or you may feel that it's difficult, but it's not because of the pain in your legs when you sit Zazen, but because it's hard to keep our practice pure.

[36:27]

By pure, he meant not dualistic, not dividing between subject and object. me here and everything out there. When we make an object of things, when we only see the objective quality, then we're losing the life of life. So, the air I breathe, the air that is breathed is myself. The food that is eaten is myself before I eat it, while I'm eating it, and after I eat it, and after it's long gone. So the second precept is don't steal.

[37:34]

Don't steal the life of something. Don't take the life of something. Everything already belongs to us. And at the same time, nothing belongs to us. Everything is for our use, but be careful how you use something. So there's much to be studied in the nature of precepts. But I want to stop now and ask you if you have any questions. You said that Suzuki Roshi said the most difficult thing is to keep one's practice pure.

[38:50]

To me it seems like there's always going to be some impurity. That's what we see. So where do we draw the line or accept our level of impurity as a place of pure practice? in the midst of impurity is where our pure practice takes place. It's not like you're dividing what's pure from impure. When you include everything in your practice, then that's pure practice. Because you're not dividing the pure from the impure. Well, it seems easy. Seems easy? It's not like everything's okay.

[39:54]

You know, oh, well, I can just do what I want. You see, this is the problem with higher understanding. If you say, well, everything's empty, then what's the problem? You just do what you want. But there are rules to life. And if you transgress the rules, then you have problems both for yourself and others, creating problems. So it doesn't mean, you know, although the pure, the pure is within the impure, It doesn't mean that that gives you license to do whatever you want. There still remains some aspect of purity within what we conceptualize as impure.

[40:58]

Say that again? So there still remains an aspect of purity within us. Yes, our concept is always impure. Conceptualization is impurity itself. So thinking mind discriminates the world. When we go beyond thinking mind, then it's the world of purity. because there's nothing to defilement. So the world itself is the world of defilement, but if you try to leave the world of defilement in order to reach the world of purity, then you keep chasing your tail, because

[42:13]

the world of defilement is itself the world of purity, but not in its purest aspect. So, it's like the fish cannot live in pure water. Fish has to live in... In order for the fish to live, there has to be something in the water. In order for us to live our life There has to be something in the air, something in the water, something for us to deal with, to eat, and to breathe. We can't live in pure air, even though we like it. But that pure air, that's not pure either. Pure water, that's not pure either. say pure, a certain level of purity, in which we say, well, this is pure. But it's not really pure.

[43:16]

But on the other hand, it's completely pure. I work in a garden and it's very difficult because I have to pull out weeds. I really hate to kill them and then pull out some plants so that the other plants will live. Right. and about the snails being tremendous. So it's very difficult, you know, and I'll do this, and I'll do that, or I try not to pull things, and it's like a jungle, you know. So there's so much, I mean, I really feel bad, is what I'm saying. Well, see, your garden is very pure, just as it is with weeds and snails and all the things, right? Very pure place. You want it to be a certain way for your purposes and your conception of your garden. So you pull out the weeds.

[44:18]

The weeds are just a name for something that you don't want to have in your garden. And it's not the desirable thing that you want. And the snails are not the desirable thing that you want. But on another level, you know there's nothing wrong with snails. You know there's nothing wrong with weeds. So when you pull up the weeds, you use them in some other way, right? You put them in the compost, and then they transform, and they're still part of the cycle, part of the garden, but in a different form. And the snails, people do various things with them. Which I won't mention. Some people eat them. It was brought here to be eaten originally.

[45:23]

But it's okay for you to have your garden the way you want, you know. But there are many ways that you can have your garden. And I remember 20 years ago or so, There was this one woman who had this garden, and she'd just throw the seeds out, you know, and it was all overgrown. And it was natural composting. So you walked through her garden, and you knew that there was a human hand in it, but it was so much part of things that it wasn't intrusive. And everything grew. Everything had its place. And she had the most wonderful vegetables, you know. And she was a remarkable woman. I can't remember her name. She had a remarkable name, too.

[46:25]

But there are different ways of doing things, you know? And when we're sensitive, we can find ways of living with everything without having to destroy it so much. Even the weeds can be beneficial. Of course, you know, we say beneficial. Weeds are beneficial for themselves. Just because they're there, they're wonderful. But we have to create a balance. So this is the human task, is to create a balance so that everything can participate in a way that doesn't overwhelm everything else. I was going to say that I think this discriminating mind is wired in. It's our heritage, and we never created this.

[47:27]

So it's the human dilemma. And I think that's where the impurity, purity is. Yeah. Discriminating mind is important. Otherwise, we couldn't make choices. But what we call discriminating mind in quote-unquote, doesn't mean that you don't make choices. It means that we don't make choices based on self-centeredness. That's what we mean by discriminating mind. Discriminating mind is the mind that makes choices based on self-centeredness. Can you speak a little louder? How can one avoid actions based on ignorance if we're constantly deluded? You know, to say that we're constantly deluded, we're also, you know, the way to, I mean, you say it in such a way, you know, that it sounds like we're hopelessly lost, but within your delusion, you can work for the benefit of whatever is around you and use everything

[49:14]

When I said, the problem, Suzuki Roshi said, pure practice is the problem. Difficulty is in having pure practice. Pure practice means that you don't see, although you see and honor the difference between things, you also don't split the difference so that you don't see the connection. So, pure practice means to not treat everything as an object, but to see everything as yourself, and at the same time, to honor the difference between things. That's pure practice. And that's how you reduce self-centeredness. So all the elements around you become harmonized when you recognize what they are.

[50:27]

You don't have to do anything special. For an enlightened person, an enlightened person naturally harmonizes everything around him, without trying, because that person sees everything as herself. And yet, if you sometimes try to help somebody that's sick, and you forget That person is they and I am me. That could cause a lot of harm. Oh yes. So both is necessary. It's necessary to realize that everything is yourself. And it's also necessary to realize that everything is its own self.

[51:37]

Yeah. Otherwise, there's no boundaries. You don't recognize the boundaries. So, both is necessary, both vertical and horizontal. Vertical means that everything is in its own place and is related to everything else in function and position. And vertical means it's all the same. Everything is myself. So where those two meet, is where your life is, moment by moment. So presets, we have the literal understanding of presets, and then we have the understanding which is you can't kill life no matter how much you chop it up into little pieces. And then in between, you have to decide what to do on what is appropriate on each moment.

[52:41]

Real precepts is to be able to decide what's appropriate on each moment, taking those two extremes into consideration. It's not rules. It's being able to be sensitive to life and to how everything relates to everything else. That's real precepts, is being sensitive and try to understand what's going on so that you do the appropriate thing, not just for your own self-centered satisfaction. Last night I was, I went to Telegraph Avenue and I went to get a piece of pizza. Outside the, there's a blondie's pizza, and right outside there was this young black man who was fairly well-dressed and was sitting down and he had like three small children. He had a sign, single parent, out of work, need help.

[53:46]

And I could tell people were really, it wasn't like your average kind of, you know, bum, kind of looking person. I mean, it was, it really, you could tell people were really taken by this. And I went inside and I wasn't really in a state of a dilemma. On one hand, I just assumed I had more physical resources than this person. So it would be very easy for me to just take out the $20 bill and just give it to him. But on the other hand, this is kind of getting back to what is right action. What is right action? When you think you're doing good for somebody, is it doing good in a feel-good kind of way? doing good in a profound way that goes beyond the action. Another part of me wanted to go call, find a policeman, because actually that's really illegal to use kids as a prop to get money.

[54:53]

But then that's kind of passing judgment on this person, which really probably wouldn't. So in another way, I wanted to go up to him and just kind of ask him, What's your plan? And what's your plan out of this? People will give you some money, but after that, then what? I mean, you can't get here tomorrow. These kids aren't going to grow up on the street. So there was this real dilemma. So I kind of walked away. And then I came back, and I was going to stop at the store and get some candy and buy some But it gets back to this, what is proper action? What is self-serving action?

[55:56]

I mean, I could have given them something, felt good about it, walked away and went home and just felt really good about myself. Well, I would say, offhand, not what you should have done, but what it brings to my mind is, first would be to talk to the person, to establish communication, which is probably the thing that's most missing in anyone's life, is connection, to establish some kind of connection. That's why he's out there. There's no connection. And the second would be to give him something. And the third would be to wonder how he can save the world. Because if we can't do anything until we figure out how we can save the world, we'll never do anything.

[56:57]

So random act is most appropriate, I think. We'll never figure out how we're going to do it, you know. Just have to do what's in front of us. And see how, you know, I thought all your ideas were good, except the one of getting him off the street. I didn't think that was such a good idea. But that's just my judgment, right? I don't like to bring legality into a situation. But I think communication is, you know, for somebody to actually say, what's the problem? Nobody's saying that, right? Nobody's saying, what's the problem? I mean, everybody's avoiding the problem and scooping them up, you know?

[58:00]

So I think that's the main thing. And then, you know, just establish something between the two, and then you give them something. And then you can feel, OK, it's all right. You wouldn't say, geez, I'm a bad guy because I didn't give him 40. There's all ways to feel about it, but it's OK to feel good about it and then forget it. But if you don't feel good about it, I think there's something missing. So you feel good about it, but you just don't dwell on it. Don't get attached to your feeling. That's my assessment of that. Peace on earth.

[59:10]

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