I vow to taste the truth of the Tathāgata's words. Morning. This morning I would like to talk about a ceremony which we have, coming up, called a sagaki ceremony. And sagaki ceremony we hold on Halloween. And sagaki has a similar feeling to Halloween.

[01:03]

And sagaki means something like nourishing hungry ghosts, feeding the hungry ghosts. And Halloween, of course, has the very similar feeling. And in Japan, obon is a ceremony or a festival which includes feeding the hungry ghosts. It's a sort of communion between people so-called living and so-called deceased.

[02:05]

But this ceremony is crossing the barriers between life and death and bringing all realms together in one place. So, sagaki means ghost or ghost is a kind of lost soul. Someone who doesn't know where they're going, no path, no place to settle. In India, this ceremony was called ulambana.

[03:14]

And ulambana has the meaning of hanging upside down. Or suspended in space. Or at loose ends. And obon is a derivative of ulambana. Those beings which are suspended in space, neither here nor there. And so, feeling of a ghost is neither here nor there, kind of wandering around. So, in some sense, you can't say exactly who's a ghost and who isn't. Ghost is part of our human nature. In some sense, we're all ghosts. Kind of lost sometimes.

[04:17]

Neither here nor there. Restless. Unable to settle. So, this ceremony is a ceremony of calling together the hungry ghosts. And wherever they may be. And feeding them or nourishing all beings. So, at this time, there's the feeling of food offering. Symbolic food offering for our deceased parents or relatives.

[05:21]

Going way, way back, maybe seven generations. They say seven generations, but that means way, way back. And it's not so much, in one way you can say it's offering nourishment to them, but it's also offering nourishment to ourselves. So, it's called the ceremony for offering nourishment to deceased spirits, but in the same way, it's offering nourishment to all of us. And not just physical nourishment, but spiritual nourishment. When we think about nourishment or what we need in our daily life, well, we need food and we need sleep. Every day we eat and every night, hopefully, we sleep.

[06:22]

But there's also spiritual nourishment. And we think about spiritual nourishment, but is that really an everyday occurrence? Spiritual nourishment means doing something for our so-called spirit, in the same way we do something for our body or our mind. So, nourishing body, mind and spirit, all three are necessary. But sometimes we become only concerned with nourishing the body and nourishing the mind through thinking and studying. But spiritual nourishment can be a daily nourishment. This is zazen. Zazen is daily spiritual nourishment, just like eating and sleeping.

[07:25]

So, nourishing hungry spirits is not just food, but spiritual nourishment, which also nourishes ourselves. When we make this offering, we're also fed. So, segaki is like removing the barriers, removing mental, spiritual and physical barriers between all realms. In Buddhism, the ancient Buddhists used a model of six realms to describe our human situation. In the six realms, the first one or one of them is the heavenly beings.

[08:36]

Heavenly beings are human nature, but it's the realm of the gods and the realm of the devas. It's the realm where everything is so wonderful and satisfying, seemingly, that those in that realm have no need to search for enlightenment because they're so happy and satisfied. So, it's a kind of deceptive realm, even though it's a very happy realm. Sometimes we are in such a happy state that we feel there's no need to go any further. So, this is a kind of trap. Heavenly realms or satisfying realms are kind of trapped

[09:41]

because we think that there's no place else to go. But when the sustaining causes for being in that realm are no longer there, then we go to some other realm. So, it's not a permanent realm. Then there's the realm of the fighting demons. Fighting demons is the realm where there's lots of aggression and feeling that we're taking what we want. Blowing the trumpet and sounding the alarm, charging to destroy and to let our aggression take full reign. We can see that right in front of us.

[10:46]

This seems to be in the ascendancy at the moment. The realm of the fighting demons seems to be taking charge. And then there's the realm of the animals. Animal realm is the realm where our animal nature dominates our human nature. Each one of us has animal nature, of course, but we also have human nature. Human nature and animal nature are not different, but when animal nature dominates, then human nature is diminished. So, to be stuck in animal nature is to be undeveloped in a human way.

[11:50]

And then there's the hell realm. Hell realm includes our lowest entrapment. And I don't have to explain what hell realm is. It's the realm of no satisfaction whatsoever and just pain, nothing but pain and dissatisfaction. And then there's the realm of the gakhis, the disembodied spirits, the craving spirits, the hungry ghosts. Hungry ghosts is a kind of hell realm, but it's treated as a realm by itself, a category of its own.

[12:54]

And it refers to our wanting nature, greedy nature, unsatisfied nature. As a matter of fact, the nature of human beings is to be unsatisfied. So, we're always looking for satisfaction. And when we find it, then it's no longer satisfaction. And then we have to look for something else. So, desire leads to craving, which leads to grasping, which leads to clinging, which leads to suffering. So, realm of hungry ghosts is this gakhi realm. And the gakhi are described as having huge appetites,

[13:56]

big stomachs, but very narrow throats. So, this big appetite wants, and maybe what it gets is available. But still, there's some problem here. It doesn't quite get down. So, it really talks about our illusions and our delusions. Because there's some craving, some need, some desire, we have some illusion about what will satisfy us. We create illusions about what will satisfy us. And these illusions become very real for us. But the closer we get to them, the more real they seem. But when we have them, they're like a bubble. The reality disappears.

[15:00]

And then we're left with the craving. So, this is a human condition and leads to all kinds of problems for us. So, we say that until we find true satisfaction, we just keep creating the conditions for, over and over again, for our grasping and clinging and delusion. And we just keep getting deeper and deeper into this cycle of wanting, craving, grasping, and disappointment. Over and over and over again. This is called the cycle in samsara, cycle of delusion. And it doesn't stop at death, so-called death, but just keeps continuing and creates the causes for new rebirth.

[16:17]

But you can see that on various levels. We can say birth and death appear moment by moment. Sandokai, you know, it says like the foot before and the foot behind in walking. Birth and death are like the foot before and the foot behind in walking. This step is into birth, and this step behind is death. And then the next step is birth, and the step behind is dying. And we can see it in our breathing. Inhaling means to come to life. Exhaling is passing away, moment by moment, birth and death on each breath. And you can see this going on and on in various realms forever.

[17:22]

Birth and death moment by moment, and then there's our birth and our death, which is the same thing. And our actions create the causes for the next appearance and determine what that will be. So that's why in Buddhadharma, Buddhism, we're very careful, we should be very careful about what we do. So that when we do some action, create some action, which is called karma, we do it with understanding so that we don't create causes that end up in suffering for ourselves and for others.

[18:28]

We say a human being is self-creating. There's no fate involved in it. We are the creators of our own destiny, creators of our future and our present. So our lives are the results of our actions, very clearly. We meet with various conditions, and the combination of our actions meeting with conditions creates the cause for our next moment of birth. You can look at it on all kinds of levels, however you want to. And if you don't want to believe in rebirth, you can at least look in front of you to see how things happen, very clear.

[19:33]

So, after the realm of the hungry ghosts, there's the realm of the human beings. Human beings is the sixth realm. Heavenly beings, fighting demons, animals, hell, hungry ghosts, and human beings. Human realm, of course, includes all the other five, because these five are just aspects of what we call human nature. When we do something, we say, oh, that's just human nature. When we act like an animal, we say, that's just human nature. When we act like a fighting demon, we say, that's just human nature. When we make a mistake, we say, that's just human nature. So it's all just human nature. But to be human is also human nature.

[20:49]

By that, human being means to be also free from all of those aspects. Of human nature. It doesn't mean that they don't come up. All of those aspects are aspects of human nature. But what we call human nature, in this sense, is in the midst of these aspects of human nature, to be free of these aspects of human nature. Right in the midst of them. So we say, there's a Bodhisattva in each of these realms. Jizo Bodhisattva is the Bodhisattva who is present in each one of these realms. Jizo Bodhisattva is, of course, the Bodhisattva of our self.

[21:56]

Our human nature, our higher aspect of human nature, the aspect of realization within each of these realms, means that within each of these realms of human nature, we can find our freedom or find release. The purpose of Buddhism is to find release within these realms. When we're angry, how do we find release from anger? So each one of these realms is a kind of trap. Each one of these realms is a realm of bondage.

[23:01]

So when we say human beings are trapped, this is what we mean. Human beings are attached to these realms, and it's very difficult to get out. Because when we do something, like when we have anger, and we use anger as a base, rather than using anger to be released from anger, we use anger as a base. And we become bound by anger. So we are used by anger. Instead of using it, we're used by it. Because we use anger as a base, and we stand on anger, and then we project ourselves from that base. And there's no way to get out of it, until we no longer use it as a base, as a basis.

[24:04]

So in Zen, we say to not hold anything in the heart, to have nothing that we hold on to. Our mind is like a black lacquer bucket. Our mind and heart is like a black lacquer bucket. And enlightenment is when the bottom of the bucket falls out. There's no bottom. But we create a bottom. And the bottom we create is anger. And then we stand on that bottom. It gives us a platform. Or greed becomes a bottom.

[25:10]

And then we stand on that bottom. Or delusion is a bottom. And we stand on that bottom. But in order to find release or enlightenment, we can't stand on any bottom. We can't stand on anger. We can't stand on greed. And we can't stand on delusion. These make our bucket very shallow. But our bucket is actually very deep. When we act out of the depths of no bottom, that's called enlightenment. So these platforms that we stand on block the light. Don't allow the light to come through.

[26:12]

So we don't stand on light. We stand on greed, hate and delusion as a basis. And then we act out of them. And our life rotates in a very shallow way. And we cause a lot of problems. So release is... Enlightenment is just release. Not hanging on to anything. Not hanging on to greed, hate or delusion. Very difficult, but possible. When anger arises, anger must arise. But to see into the heart of anger is enlightenment.

[27:17]

To see into the heart of greed is enlightenment. To see into the heart of delusion, rather than just using it or being used by it. Being used by something. We don't like to be used by something. Of course, sometimes we do. You know, please use me. What do we want to be used by? Actually, we all want to be used by something. This is our nature, you know. What will we be used by? Will we be used by anger? Will we be used by greed? Will we be used by delusion? Everyone is seeking this. But if we stand out of the way,

[28:26]

we can be... fulfill human nature. Human nature has the possibility of not being used, but being turned by... light. When we see into the heart of greed, hate and delusion, then we have the opportunity to let our treasury of light be our motivating force. This is the purpose of zazen,

[29:33]

to let go of everything and just let our treasury of light use us. Allow life to be lived through us. We live life and life lives us. We turn life and life turns us, free of greed, hate and delusion. This is a human realm. All the other realms are also a human realm, but... we can use those aspects of our nature to see into our human nature, to go beyond. This, anyway, is our practice. Joshu said to his student,

[30:43]

You are used by the 24 hours. I use the 24 hours. So... Halloween... is... a time when all the demons come flying out and we give them free reign. We say, Come on out, demons. This is your turn. Tonight is your turn to howl and have free play. So... in America, so far, we put segaki ceremony together with Halloween to give some meaning to Halloween.

[31:44]

Halloween has some meaning, but it gets kind of... we lose the understanding of it, you know. Somehow, the meaning of Halloween gets lost. So, for us, to put them together, helps to give some meaning back to it, re-establish the meaning of it. And, interesting, when you think about little kids trick-or-treating, actually, trick-or-treat has deep meaning. The spirits, everybody comes out and enacts demonic spirit rules. And then the little kids come up and knock on the door and say, Trick-or-treat. If you don't give me a treat, I'll trick you.

[32:46]

That's... their demonic aspect, which we allow them to have. When I was a kid, we used to soap everybody's window. We used to write on it, you know. In the morning, you'd look down the street and all the cars had soap on the windows. And all the garbage cans were overturned on the lawn. There was a little more tolerance in those days. But... And then we give them candy. We say, Here's some candy. Please don't do any damage. Here's some candy. And giving the candy is like appeasing the hungry spirits. Some appeasement. In the candy, there's some compassion. It's not the candy that we're...

[33:51]

Candy's just a kind of vehicle. But there's some kind of compassion toward these hungry spirits. We allow them, you know, we recognize them and want to do something. It's a great game. It's very meaningful. So... And we dress up. I don't know what they do here at Green Gulch. I've never done segaki at Green Gulch, but in other places, students dress up in costumes for the ceremony. They actually become... embody their demonic aspects. So, ceremony of segaki has a very serious aspect, but also

[34:52]

has a very light-hearted aspect. Light-hearted because all the barriers are down. And all the separation between the worlds is gone. And it's just total acceptance between demonic, saintly, dead, alive, this world and all worlds. We invite them all to come together without any discrimination. And during the ceremony, we make a lot of noise, which we have instruments and pots and pans or whatever, and make this great din which is calling all spirits. We try to make that penetrate to all worlds as an invitation to come to the ceremony.

[35:53]

And the ceremony, the altar for the segaki is not the Buddhist altar. It's facing the other way, where there is no Buddha, no bodhisattvas, no special aspect, because this is not just for Buddhists. This is for all beings. So, we don't like to say, you have to be Buddhist to come to the ceremony, or you have to believe in Buddha or something like that. Buddha is at the other end. All pictures and statues are at the other end, and just neutral space, no special religious connotations, because some of the demons or disembodied spirits or ghosts might be intimidated

[36:57]

to come where there is some special deity or deity. So, someone who doesn't believe in religion shouldn't feel intimidated to come. And then, we make this offering and chant a gate of sweet dew sutra, which is a sutra for nourishing in various ways. Very nice ceremony. Please come if you can. This ceremony was said to have originated when Moggallana, one of his main disciples,

[38:02]

had a dream about his mother. He dreamt that his mother was in the hell realm, and whatever she ate turned to fire, and whatever she drank turned to blood and disagreeable tastes of all kinds. And he asked the Buddha about this. He said, what will I do about this dream? And the Buddha said, make an offering to the monks at the end of the practice season, a food offering. So, at the end of the practice season, he made this food offering to the monks, and the Buddha himself broke the lock to get her out.

[39:04]

And all the demons came out and are still floating around. So, in our journey

[40:10]

in this world and the next, so-called, there's always this seeking. So, when we are seeking, whether we call ourselves demons or just seekers, we can make this acknowledgment in this offering and put forth this compassion. And during the ceremony, we acknowledge or recite the names of all the people that we've had memorial services for during the year. And then people can also add names

[41:12]

to be acknowledged at that time. So, it's a very personal ceremony. It can be very personal or very general at the same time. And we can all share in that. So, the distinction between the various worlds is not so clear. In Buddhism, we say no birth and no death. We usually talk about

[42:15]

birth and death but we say no birth, no death because you can't say exactly where one begins and the other ends. Things look distinct and solid and categorical but actually there's only process, continuing process. There is a story, Zen story, where master and disciple went to a funeral and after the funeral, the disciple knocked on the coffin and he said to his master, dead or alive? And the master said, I won't say. I won't say. And the student was very insistent.

[43:18]

He really wanted to know. He really wanted an answer. And later they were walking away and the student really got angry. He said, tell me master, is he dead or alive? I won't say. He said, if you don't say, I'll hit you. And the master said, even if you hit me, I won't say. So the student hit him. He said, now tell me. I won't say, I won't say. So the student left and later the master hit him. And the student went to his other disciple and this is actually maybe 20 years later.

[44:21]

He still hadn't figured it out. And he went to the master's other disciple and he said, told him about what happened. And he said, what do you think? And the other student said, I won't say, I won't say. And at that time he got enlightened. It took him a while. It took him 20 years of dealing with his koan. So, it's hard to say where the line is between birth and death. Life and death is a process. So, I invite you all to come to the ceremony

[45:23]

on Halloween and enjoy Halloween in a meaningful way. Thank you very much. NAR TEN CHIT NAR TEN CHIT

[45:42]

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